OSHA’s Top 10 Most Cited Violations of 2019

OSHA just announced its preliminary list of Top 10 Most Cited Violations in 2019 at the National Safety Council Congress and Expo.

Among the top risks worker health and safety, Hazard Communication once again lands near the top of the agency’s list, as questions and confusion resulting from its adoption of GHS and the changes made to the Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) continue to impact compliance efforts. With additional changes expected following OSHA’s intent to update the current HazCom Standard (aligned with GHS Revision 3) to align it with GHS Revision 7, the confusion – and subsequent violations – are expected to continue.

One critical step employers can take now to protect themselves from HazCom violations and prepare for future changes is to ensure they are fully complaint with the current obligations under the GHS-aligned HazCom 2012 Standard. Businesses covered by the standard should review their SDS library to confirm they have the most updated information available for employees to access, verify shipped labels and workplace container labels comply with GHS, update their Written HazCom Plans, and make sure that all employees have been trained to comprehend the current GHS changes. If you haven’t done so already, now is a good time to look into an electronic chemical management solution to help simplify compliance and ensure workers have right-to-know access to all hazardous information. Taking the time now to verify compliance now will make introducing the next round of changes easier.

EHS professionals attending the 2019 NSC Congress & Expo are encouraged to visit the VelocityEHS booth (#2222) to learn about how VelocityEHS’ Chemical Management solutions help make adopting and adhering to GHS changes faster and easier. You can also put your HazCom compliance knowledge to the test during the show at our interactive workshop, “GHS/HazCom: The Game – Can You Pass the Compliance Test in 2019?” on Tuesday, September 10 from 3:15 – 4:15 p.m. PT.

Those unable to attend the NSC Congress & Expo presentation can get up to speed on what to do to keep workers safe and workplaces compliant with the help of our live GHS/HazCom webinar on September 18, 2019 and October 15, 2019. And don’t forget to check-out our library of complimentary white papers and guides to help you stay on track with compliance.

Here is the complete Top 10 list for 2019, along with the lists for previous years:

Most Cited Violations of 2019
1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding – General Requirements (1926.451)
4. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
5. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
6. Ladders (1926.1053)
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503)
9. Machine Guarding– General Requirement (1910.212)
10. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102)

Most Cited Violations of 2018
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding – General Requirements (1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
6. Ladders (1926.1053)
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503)
9. Machine Guarding– General Requirement (1910.212)
10. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102)

Most Cited Violations of 2017
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding (1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
6. Ladders (1926.1053)
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
8. Machine Guarding– General Requirement (1910.212)
9. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503)
10. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305)

Most Cited Violations of 2016
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding (1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
7. Ladders (1926.1053)
8. Machine Guarding – General Requirement (1910.212)
9. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305)
10. Electrical – General Requirement (1910.303

Most Cited Violations of 2015
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication ( 1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding ( 1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
7. Ladders (1926.1053)
8. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305)
​9. Machine Guarding – General Requirement (1910.212)
10. Electrical – General (1910.303)

Most Cited Violations of 2014
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding (1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
7. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305)
8. Ladders (1926.1053)
9. Machine Guarding – General Requirement (1910.212)
10. Electrical – General (1910.303)