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OSHA’s Top 10 Most Cited Standards for FY 2024

• Oct 12, 2024

In keeping with tradition, OSHA was on hand to reveal its Top 10 Most Cited Standards at the 2024 National Safety Council Safety Congress & Expo. At the event, Scott Ketcham, director of the directorate of enforcement programs for OSHA, led the session presenting the preliminary data for fiscal year 2024 (FY24). Although this data was not final and is subject to change, let’s take a look at OSHA’s Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24).

10) Machine Guarding

As in previous years, Machine Guarding rounds out the OSHA top 10, though the number of cited violations dropped from 1,644 in FY23 to 1,541 cited during FY24. The OSHA standard 1910.212 outlines the requirements for machinery and machine guarding, including machines requiring guards such as power presses, portable power tools, guillotine cutters and. Use of such machinery can lead to hazards associated with “rotating parts” and “sparks.”

OSHA defines machine guards as “barriers which prevent access to danger areas.” This critical safety equipment—categorized as “fixed, interlocked, adjustable, and self-adjusting”—aims to shield employees from dangers posed by machinery. However, the absence or misuse of these tools can result in OSHA violations, as was likely the case with the incidents in this year’s report.

9) Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment—Eye and Face Protection

Still at number 9 on the OHSA top 10, Eye and Face Protection holds that position, with 1,814 violations cited in FY24. That’s a notable drop from the 2,074 violations reported last year. OSHA Standard 1926.102 mandates employers to provide suitable eye and face protection for workers exposed to hazards such as “flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors or potentially injurious light radiation” that can cause severe injuries or blindness. In some environments, employers must provide side protection.

OSHA requires eye and face protection to align with one of the three designated American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. For employees wearing prescription lenses, employers must ensure that eye protection accommodates these prescriptions or fits comfortably over prescription glasses. Comfort, fit and ease of cleaning are continually shown to be key to compliance, and more and more employers are finally beginning to account for it.

8) Scaffolding

Dropping from number 4 last year to the eighth spot in FY24, Scaffolding saw the number of cited violations dip significantly from 2,859 to 1,873 in FY24. OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926.451 outlines requirements for workers operating on scaffolds. For instance, every scaffold and its components must be able to bear its own weight and at least four times the maximum intended load without collapsing. 

OSHA also mandates that the platform should have a minimum width of 18 inches and must be equipped with either a guardrail or a personal fall arrest system to protect workers from falling. However, guardrails aren’t always required. For instance, guardrails aren’t necessary when the gap between the edge of the platform and the working surface is less than 14 inches, ensuring that workers are adequately protected. These standards emphasize structural integrity and protective measures to prevent scaffolding-related accidents.

7) Fall Protection – Training Requirements

In FY23, Fall Protection - Training Requirements ranked eighth in the OSHA top 10. Now it’s moved up one spot, though it too has seen a decrease in citations. For FY24, OSHA reported 2,050 violations, a slight drop from last year’s 2,112 violations, as employers prioritize fall protection training. OSHA’s standard on fall protection, 1926.503, mandates that employers implement a training program that includes how to identify hazards, strategies to alleviate and mitigate these risks, and how to properly use fall protection and arrest systems.

Even after training is complete, employers are required to maintain a written certification record of employees’ participation and completion of the program. Retraining is also required if an employee demonstrates a lack of familiarity with the training content or if modifications in the workplace render the original training or particular fall protection equipment outdated.

6) Powered Industrial Trucks

In FY23, OSHA reported 2,561 violations were cited tied to Powered Industrial Trucks. Now that category drops one spot to number 6 on this year’s list, with 2,248 violations cited in FY24. OSHA Standard 1910.178 addresses safety requirements tied to “fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks and other specialized industrial trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines” but not some other industrial trucks or farm vehicles.

However, this standard covers fire protection, design, maintenance and use of such equipment. OSHA’s mandate features comprehensive provisions that govern how employers and workers use these vehicles. Mandatory guidelines in the OSHA standards include in-depth operator training and certification, daily, pre-shift inspections, and operating environment restrictions.

5) Lockout/Tagout

Moving up one slot from the FY23 list — on which OSHA reported 2,554 violations — is Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), which also drops slightly to 2,443 violations this year. A subset of controlling hazardous energy, LOTO falls under OSHA’s standard 1910.147, which outlines protocols for controlling hazardous energy, including implementing an energy control program.

The process of controlling hazardous energy prevents accidental activation of a machine during maintenance that can result in severe injuries or even fatalities. Lockout is mandated when an energy-isolating device can be locked out, ensuring complete de-energization. When this isn’t possible, tagout may be employed if it assures full employee protection. Training in LOTO procedures is mandatory, with retraining introduced when necessary to ensure compliance.

4) Respiratory Protection

Respiratory Protection leaps to number 4 in FY24, up three spots from last year’s OSHA top 10. Likewise, the agency cited significantly more violations this year, 2,859 compared to the previous year’s 2,481. Selecting the appropriate respiratory protection for workers, according to OSHA standard 1910.134, depends on the environmental hazards present. Potential solutions could range from an air-purifying respirator to an atmosphere-supplying model.

According to OSHA, the selection process should include an exposure assessment to identify the type and level of hazardous exposure workers might face. Additional considerations in selecting the right respirator include understanding the job site, worker characteristics, and other assigned protection factors. Before deciding, employers should know the work environment’s oxygen percentage, contaminants and existing concentrations of specific hazardous substances.

3) Ladders

Ladders holds strong at number 3 on the latest OSHA list, though the number of violations dropped from 2,978 in FY23 to 2,573 this year. The OSHA standard regarding the use of ladders, 1926.1053, specifies guidelines for various types of ladders. For instance, non-self-supporting ladders must be positioned at an angle where the horizontal distance from the top support to the ladder’s base is roughly one-quarter of the ladder’s working length during use.

Ladders must not be loaded beyond their designated weight capacity, and the steps or rungs should be free of hazards like oil, grease or other substances that could cause slips. If a portable ladder is deemed defective, it should be promptly removed from service and clearly marked to alert workers not to use it. OSHA’s safety protocols also dictate workers should always face the ladder while ascending or descending and maintain “at least one hand” on the ladder.

2) Hazard Communication

This year, Hazard Communication (HazCom) accounted for 2,888 violations — down more than 300 from FY23’s 3,213 violations — 
though it remains in second place on the FY24 edition of OSHA’s list. The HazCom standard 1910.1200 provides comprehensive guidelines on hazard classification, establishing a HazCom program, proper labeling practices, worker training and the management of trade secrets. It also addresses Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), a mandatory component in any professional environment where chemicals are used, produced or imported.

SDSs offer detailed information on chemicals, including their hazards, first-aid measures and guidelines for storage and transportation. The HazCom standard mandates that SDSs are available for every chemical in use and be accessible in English, comprised of 16 specified sections. To remain in OSHA compliance, chemical manufacturers need to update SDSs whenever chemicals change to prevent outdated data from creating potential safety risks.

1) Fall Protection – General Requirements

For the fourteenth consecutive year, Fall Protection - General Requirements remains in the top spot. Even so, the number of cited violations dropped significantly from 7,271 to 6,307, a decline of nearly 1,000 citations from FY23. Of course, OSHA outlines several key standards to address all the fall protection-related safety risks that can arise in the workplace. 

Employers can adopt preventative actions such as the installation of guards for all holes, guardrails and toe-boards around elevated open-sided platforms, floors, or runways, and safety equipment such as harnesses, safety nets and railings where fall hazards are present.

OSHA mandates employers ensure work environments do not maintain any known dangers, keep work area floors as clean and dry as possible, provide necessary employees with PPE at no cost and make hazard training accessible to all workers. OSHA continually made efforts to combat fall protection issues, and this notable decline in violations may be an encouraging sign.

This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.