OSHA 2019 Top 10 Workplace Safety Violations

OSHA’s Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations for fiscal year (FY) 2019 are out. The data covers violations cited from October 1, 2018, through August 31, 2019.

For the ninth consecutive year, Fall Protection – General Requirements was OSHA’s most frequently cited violation standard, as announced at the National Safety Council 2019 Congress & Expo.

The remainder of the preliminary list of OSHA’s Top 10 violations for fiscal year 2019 also remained largely unchanged from FY 2018, with only one adjustment. Lockout/Tagout, which ranked No. 5 in FY 2018, traded places with Respiratory Protection at No. 4.

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Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, presented the list, based on OSHA Information System data from Oct. 1 to Aug. 15. as part of the 2019 NSC Congress & Expo, the world’s largest annual gathering of safety professionals.

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Summary: OSHA 2019 Workplace Safety Violations

Fall Protection remained #1 on a list that does not vary much per year.

Most Cited Violations of 2019:

  1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501): 6,010 violations
  2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 3,671
  3. Scaffolding (1926.451): 2,813
  4. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 2,606
  5. Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2,450
  6. Ladders (1926.1053): 2,345
  7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 2,093
  8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503): 1,773
  9. Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,743
  10. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1,411
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NSC President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin said in a Sept. 10 press release. “The OSHA Top 10 list is a helpful guide for understanding just how adept America’s businesses are in complying with the basic rules of workplace safety. This list should serve as a challenge for us to do better as a nation and expect more from employers. It should also serve as a catalyst for individual employees to recommit to safety.”

Finalized data, along with additional details and exclusive content will be published in the December edition of the Council’s Safety+Health magazine.

About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council (nsc.org) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact.