OSHA recently revealed its top 10 most frequently cited standards in the 2023 fiscal year using preliminary data. This information is valuable for businesses of all kinds, as it helps them identify common exposures that affect their workforce and gives them the information they need to plan their compliance programs.
For 2023, the top 10 most cited standards were as follows:
- Fall protection—General requirements: 7,271 violations
- Hazard communication: 3,213 violations
- Ladders: 2,978 violations
- Scaffolding: 2,859 violations
- Powered industrial trucks: 2,561 violations
- Lockout/tagout: 2,554 violations
- Respiratory protection: 2,481 violations
- Fall protection—Training requirements: 2,112 violations
- Personal protective and life-saving equipment—Eye and face protection: 2,074 violations
- Machine guarding: 1,644 violations
It is important to be aware of the financial penalties associated with these violations. OSHA’s current maximum penalty for serious and other-than-serious violations is $15,625 per violation. The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations is $156,259 per violation.
Several standards changed positions from fiscal year 2022. For instance, “respiratory protection” moved down to number seven and “powered industrial trucks” moved up to number five. What’s more, “fall protection—general requirements” remained OSHA’s most frequently cited standard for the 13th consecutive fiscal year.
Keep in mind that this data is preliminary and may be subject to change.
Mike Halter, Director Loss Control can assist with creating a proactive plan to help reduce your incidents. Contact Mike at mhalter@haylor.com
