What is OSHA?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a US government agency that ensures safe and healthy working conditions for employees through a few key methods:
Setting Standards:
OSHA establishes regulations and guidelines that specify safety and health requirements for different industries. These standards cover a wide range of hazards, from chemical exposure to machine safety.
Enforcement:
OSHA conducts inspections of workplaces to ensure compliance with its standards. Inspectors can issue citations and fines for violations, encouraging employers to rectify unsafe conditions.
Whistleblower Protections:
OSHA enforces laws that protect employees who report unsafe working conditions or violations. This encourages workers to speak up without fear of retaliation.
Research and Data Collection:
OSHA conducts research to identify workplace hazards and develop new safety standards. They also gather data on workplace injuries and illnesses to inform policy decisions. Through use of these strategies, OSHA works to minimize workplace hazards and protect the health and safety of workers across various industries. OSHA covers most private sector employers and their employees in the United States, as well as some state and local government workers. OSHA does not cover self-employed workers, immediate family members of farm employers, and workers whose hazards are regulated by another federal agency.
OSHA may show up to your business unannounced due to an employee complaint, reported fatality, referrals from other government agencies, follow-up inspections, or if your business is considered a “high risk” industry. Working with OSHA can be intimidating if you are not prepared. Knowing the data behind even the most common violation is a step in the right direction for employers.
2023’s Top OSHA Citations
Each year, OSHA publishes a list of the top 10 most cited violations from the previous year, highlighting the most common safety and health infractions found during workplace inspections. These violations serve as an important reminder for employers to address specific hazards in their workplaces.
OSHA penalties, even when negotiated, can be extremely expensive. The financial impact of citations can include not only the fines themselves, but also potential costs associated with compliance, such as implementing safety measures, training employees, and making necessary equipment upgrades. Additionally, repeated violations can lead to higher penalties and increased scrutiny from OSHA. The best approach is to prevent OSHA violations and placing controls in your business to avoid whenever possible.
The most frequently cited violations in 2023 were:
10. Machine Guarding
Coming in at the tenth most cited violation is machine guarding. This violation is cited mostly in General Industry environments such as metal/machine shops. The objective of OSHA’s machine guarding standard is to prevent amputations and other serious injuries caused by equipment and machinery that lack proper guarding or have insufficient protection with current guarding. These standards are designed to ensure the safety of employees working on or near machinery by requiring appropriate safeguards to mitigate risks. By implementing these measures, OSHA aims to protect workers from hazards such as moving parts, flying debris, and other dangers associated with machinery operations.
9. Eye & Face Protection
OSHA lists the ninth most cited violation, eye, and face protection most often in the construction industry, with 2,074 violations. Construction work involves numerous hazards, including flying objects and debris, making eye and face protection essential. To safeguard workers from potential injuries such as cuts, abrasions, or more serious damage to the eyes and face, proper personal protective equipment (PPE) like safety glasses, goggles, or face shields must be used. This protective gear helps prevent injuries from tools, materials, and other environmental factors.
8. Training Requirements
For the eighth most cited violation, OSHA tags fall protection training. It is important to note that the wearing of fall protection on its own without proper training is insufficient. Comprehensive training on fall protection is essential, including documented instruction on how to safely use personal fall arrest systems, understanding fall hazards, and complying with other relevant elements of the standard. This type of training is crucial for ensuring that workers can effectively protect themselves from falls. Notably, violations related to fall protection training have been among the most cited within the construction industry, highlighting the need for employers to prioritize safety education and compliance.
7. Respiratory Protection
The seventh most cited area is Respiratory Protection. OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910 standard covering general industry, issued 2,481 violations regarding respiratory protection in 2023. There are a few elements to a comprehensive respiratory program if your operation exposes employees to respirable dust such as silica. Having an updated written program, proper medical evaluations, fit-testing, and proper training can help prevent OSHA violations under this standard. Specific industries cited most frequently under this standard were masonry workers, stone-cutting manufacturing, and even some skilled-nursing facilities.
6. Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
Industries impacted the most by the sixth most common violation in 2023 were machine shops, wood/pallet manufacturing, metal fabrication shops, commercial printing, and other heavy manufacturing. Having a comprehensive written lockout/tagout program including updated, written machine-specific lockout/tagout procedures, frequent inspections, training, and accountability for employees working with hazardous energy make all the difference. Improper controls regarding lockout/tagout lead to multiple injuries, and even fatalities, every year.
5. Powered Industrial Trucks
Powered Industrial Trucks (PIT), generally known as forklifts, accounted for 2,561 violations cited in general industry environments in 2023 and rolled in as the fifth most common violation area. In this category, violations mainly stemmed stem from unsafe operation of PIT and lack of documented fresher training, as well as evaluations. Companies often overlook the specific requirements of PITs, which includes classroom training, hands-on operational training, final observation, and lastly, certification from a qualified instructor versed on forklift safety.
Other items considered under this standard include documented daily inspections, refresher training, and executed procedures for taking unsafe PIT out of service when in need of repair. Incorporating a robust training and maintenance program is imperative so employees do not feel forced to drive unsafe equipment, nor result in a regular occurrence of unsafe driving. Forklifts are not lightweight and can easily cause serious injuries and fatalities when not controlled. Just as training and enforcement when driving a standard motor vehicle is important, the same sentiment exists for PITs.
4. Scaffolding
The fourth most cited violated in 2023 was scaffolding, specifically employees working from heights with lack of adequate protection from falls. Within the construction industry, scaffolding is frequently utilized. The mere existence of scaffolding alone does not replace the requirement for scaffolding to be properly protected with guard railing, proper baseplates, and placement to safely access.
3. Ladders
Ladders, specifically under the OSHA construction standard, were the third most cited violation in 2023. Lack of adequate siderails for portable ladders accounted for 1,800 of the total 2,978 cited. Other occurrences referenced using the top of the ladder as a step and using portable ladders for other purposes than intended.
2. Hazard Communication
At 3,212, Hazard Communication was the second most-cited OSHA violation. Hazard Communication is an OSHA standard that is commonly overlooked by industries using chemicals within their operations. Key elements to the hazard communication standard cited inadequate or missing written programs, inadequate documentation of training for employees, and lack of easily accessible Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for employees to view regarding their hazardous chemicals onsite. The hospitality industry, specifically hotels and motels, was surprisingly the most affected by this violation is 2023.
1. Fall Protection
The number one most-cited OSHA violation in 2023, which may not come as a surprise for those working within the industry, was lack of fall protection. In 2023, falls continued to be the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry for the 13th consecutive year. This persistent trend highlights the critical need for effective fall prevention measures.
Fall protection violations accounted for 7,271 violations cited by OSHA in 2023. The main 1916.501 standard violated stems from employees working in both residential and commercial construction at heights of 6 feet or more without adequate fall protection including guard rails, personal fall arrest systems, or by other means. Companies must do their due diligence and regularly control for fall hazards present to their employees in order to prevent not only serious OSHA violations and penalties, but their employees from injury and fatality while at work.
Sentinel Risk Performance Group
By reviewing trends in OSHA violation types amongst industries, industries can take initiative and prevent potential OSHA violations that may be existent within their business, as well as engage in proactive measures to prevent future losses. Sentinel offers customized service plans designed to maintain OSHA compliance and implement additional risk management solutions to support your company’s success. Contact our Sentinel Risk Performance Group today to learn more about Safeguarding Your Success.
