OSHA's 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards for 2024

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced its preliminary top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for FY 2024 at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo in Orlando in September 2024. Fall protection topped the list for the 14th consecutive year.

The total number of citations across the top 10 decreased from FY 2023 to FY 2024, though the same standards continue to drive the majority of workplace safety citations each year. The complete preliminary top 10 list of most frequently cited standards for FY 2024 follows. (Preliminary data presented at NSC; detailed analysis later published by Safety+Health.) Common citation issues under each standard include:

1. Fall Protection, General Requirements (29 CFR 1926.501): 6,307 citations

• Unprotected edges and open-sided floors without guardrail systems
• Failure to provide guardrail systems, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems
• Workers exposed to leading edges without adequate protection
• Improper use or maintenance of personal fall arrest equipment

2. Hazard Communication (29 CFR 1910.1200): 2,888 citations

• No written hazard communication program
• Failure to train employees on chemical hazards in the workplace
• Improperly labeled or unlabeled secondary containers
• Missing or outdated Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

3. Ladders (29 CFR 1926.1053): 2,573 citations

• Ladders not extending 3 feet above the landing surface
• Using damaged or defective ladders that should be removed from service
• Overloading ladders beyond their rated capacity
• Improper ladder angle or positioning during use

4. Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134): 2,470 citations

• No written respiratory protection program
• Failure to conduct proper fit testing
• Inadequate training on respirator use and limitations
• Improper respirator selection for the specific hazard

5. Lockout/Tagout (29 CFR 1910.147): 2,443 citations

• Poor or no energy-control procedures
• Inadequate worker training on hazardous energy isolation
• Incomplete periodic inspections of energy-control procedures

6. Powered Industrial Trucks (29 CFR 1910.178): 2,248 citations

• Inadequate operator training and certification
• Failure to conduct performance evaluations and refresher training
• Improper pre-use inspections and maintenance of equipment

7. Fall Protection Training (29 CFR 1926.503): 2,050 citations

• Failure to provide fall hazard recognition training to exposed workers
• No training on proper use and operation of fall protection equipment
• Inadequate retraining after changes in workplace conditions or equipment

8. Scaffolding (29 CFR 1926.451): 1,873 citations

• Lack of guardrails on scaffold platforms
• Improper access methods to scaffold surfaces
• Unstable foundations and inadequate planking
• No competent person overseeing scaffold erection and use

9. Eye and Face Protection (29 CFR 1926.102): 1,814 citations

• Failure to provide any eye or face protection to exposed workers
• PPE not appropriate for the specific workplace hazard
• Workers not wearing required protection during tasks involving flying particles or chemical exposure

10. Machine Guarding (29 CFR 1910.212): 1,541 citations

• Missing guards at the point of operation
• Bypassed or removed safety interlocks
• Inadequate guarding of rotating parts, flying chips, and sparks

The same standards continue to appear on OSHA's Top 10 list year after year, which signals that many employers are still falling short on well-known hazards. Based on the preliminary FY 2024 counts presented at NSC and the FY 2023 NSC counts, all 10 categories had fewer citations year over year, with an overall decrease of about 11.9% across the Top 10 based on the preliminary NSC counts. Even so, fall protection remained the leading standard cited and had more than twice the number of citations as the next closest standard.

The persistence of these same standards on the list underscores the need for employers to acknowledge these trends and take action to strengthen their compliance programs, including use of OSHA's no-cost On-Site Consultation Program.