The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced their top 10 list for the most frequently cited workplace-safety violations for FY 2013. The number one most cited violation was fall protection.
There has been a significant increase in the total number of violations from FY 2012 to FY 2013.
The complete top 10 list of most frequently cited workplace-safety violations for 2013 follows:
1. Fall Protection: 8,241 violations
- Covering holes
- Protection of open sides and edges
- Preventing falls from roofs
2. Hazard Communication: 6,156 violations
- No written program
- Provide adequate employee education and training
- Properly label containers / lack of any label
- Access to material-safety data sheets
3. Scaffolding: 5,423 violations
- Problems with scaffold construction
- Improper access to scaffolding surfaces
- Lack of guardrails
4. Respiratory Protection: 3,879 violations
- No written respiratory-protection program
- Poor fit-test procedures
- Unsuitable respirator-selection process
- Procedures to voluntarily use respirators
SEE: OSHA's Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards for 2014
5. Electrical (wiring): 3,452 violations
- Flexible cords and cables
- Boxes and temporary wiring
- improper use of extension cords
- Use of temporary wiring as permanent wiring
6. Powered Industrial Trucks: 3,340 violations
- Inadequate operator training
- Inadequate refresher training
- Condition of trucks when returned to service after repair
7. Ladders: 3,311 violations
- Damaged side rails
- Using top ladder step
- Ladder not suitable for the job
- Excessive loads on ladders
8. Lockout / Tagout: 3,254 violations
- Poor or no energy-control procedures
- Inadequate worker training
- Incomplete inspections
9. Electrical (general): 2,745 violations
- Electric shock
- Electrocution exposures
10. Machine Guarding: 2,701 violations
- Point-of-operation exposures
- Inadequate or no anchoring of fixed machinery
- Exposure to blades