Tune In for FY2009's Top Ten
OSHA's $1,601,920 in proposed penalties in 11 enforcement cases announced in the first two weeks of October 2009 might give us a clue about the leading violations of FY2010, the fiscal year that began for the federal government on Oct. 1.
Given that the agency's Top Ten list of most-cited standards varies little from year to year, the announcement of the FY2009 list during this month's National Safety Congress & Expo may seem uneventful. But every employer should be aware of OSHA's aggressive enforcement this year, and the list shows what has been on the enforcement troops' radar. The list's unveiling, always a popular part of NSC’s annual gathering, will take place on the Expo floor Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Booth 3029 from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Did any of these early October OSHA cases hit close to home for your operation's hazards and exposures?
- Oct. 14: $138,000, Region 1, process safety management, respiratory, LOTO, electrical (embalming fluid manufacturer)
- Oct. 9: $91,000, Region 1, fall protection (roofing contractor)
- Oct. 9: $116,500, Region 6, machine guarding, fall protection, electrical, HazCom (pipe fittings manufacturer)
- Oct. 9: $207,800, Region 6, confined space (chemical recycling company)
- Oct. 9: $92,000, Region 2, process safety management (refinery)
- Oct. 9: $518,520, Region 5, combustible dust/housekeeping (pet food research and packaging company)
- Oct. 7: $231,600, Region 4, machine guarding, fire protection, hazardous chemicals (tortilla manufacturer)
- Oct. 7: $38,100, Region 1, respiratory (bridge repair contractor)
- Oct. 6, $35,000, Region 1, trenching/excavation (road construction contractor)Oct. 6, $55,000, Region 1, trenching/excavation (sewer construction contractor)
Oct. 6, $78,400, Region 2, fall protection (steel erection contractor)
These were the 10 most-cited OSHA standards in FY2008:
- Scaffolding, construction (29 CFR 1926.451)
- Fall protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501)
- Hazard Communication, general industry (29 CFR 1910.1200)
- Lockout/tagout, general industry (29 CFR 1910.147)
- Respiratory protection, general industry (29 CFR 1910.134)
- Electrical wiring methods, components, and equipment, general industry (29 CFR 1910.305)
- Powered industrial trucks, general industry (29 CFR 1910.178)
- Ladders, construction (29 CFR 1926.1053)
- Machine guarding, general industry (29 CFR 1910.212)
- Electrical systems design, general industry (29 CFR 1910.303)
These were the 10 most-cited OSHA standards in FY2007:
- Scaffolding, construction (29 CFR 1926.451)
- Hazard Communication, general industry (29 CFR 1910.1200)
- Fall protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501)
- Respiratory protection, general industry (29 CFR 1910.134)
- Lockout/tagout, general industry (29 CFR 1910.147)
- Powered industrial trucks, general industry (29 CFR 1910.178)
- Electrical wiring methods, components, and equipment, general industry (29 CFR 1910.305)
- Ladders, construction (29 CFR 1926.1053)
- Machine guarding, general industry (29 CFR 1910.212)
- Electrical systems design, general industry (29 CFR 1910.303)