This year OSHA issues over 94,000 citations for safety related violations. At the National Safety Council's 2010 Congress and Expo, OSHA announced the top 10 safety violations, which accounted for nearly half of the total violations, for the year. While this year's list is nearly identical to last years, with the big four (scaffolding, fall protection, hazard communication, and respiratory protection) remaining unchanged, it still serves as an invaluable resource for the public workforce. Read through the list and decide whether or not you have been guilty of the following safety violations.
OSHA's Most Cited Safety Violations of 2010
- Scaffolding: 9,093 violations - Scaffolding violations and accidents are most commonly attributed to improper use that results in the plank giving way, the employee falling off, or an object falling on top of the person.
- Fall Protection: 6,771 violations - Fall protection violations occur whenever a person is 4 feet above the ground without proper safety measures. Fall protection must be provided at four feet in general industry, five feet in maritime and six feet in construction.
- Hazard Communication: 6,378 violations - Manufacturers and movers of hazardous materials must evaluate, label, and provide MSDS for each product.
- Respiratory Protection: 3,803 violations - Respirators help to protect against unhealthy breathing environments. This can be caused by insufficient oxygen, dust, vapors, gasses, fiberglass and more.
- Ladders: 3,072 violations - 8 percent of all occupational fatalities are due to falls.
- Control of Hazardous Energy - Lockout/Tagout: 3,321 violations - "Lockout-Tag out" refers to locking the on/off power switch while working with high current electrical devices.
- Electrical - Wiring Methods: 3,079 violations - Electrical hazards are present for those who work directly and also indirectly with or near dangerous electrical lines.
- Powered Industrial Trucks: 2,993 violations - Many employees are injured by driving powered industrial trucks off of loading docks, into ditches or by being struck by trucks while working.
- Electrical - General: 2,556 violations - Working with electricity is always hazardous. Many employees are injured during routine electrical maintenance and install.
- Machine Guarding: 2,364 violations - Any machine part, function, or process that may cause injury must be labeled and safeguarded.
That concludes our list of the top 10 OSHA violations and their causes. OSHA 10 hour training is an excellent way to to prevent hazards and maintain safe, compliant working conditions.
