OSHA’s Top 10: Cline Details Where Compliance Problems Are Showing Up

Fall protection remained OSHA’s most frequently cited standard for the 16th consecutive year, while an agency official offered a closer look at the compliance problems behind this year’s list.

• By David Kopf
• Sep 16, 2026

OSHA's annual list of its most frequently cited workplace safety standards may look familiar, but the violations behind the numbers continue to reveal persistent gaps in workplace safety programs.

Prent Cline, acting deputy director of OSHA's Directorate of Enforcement Programs, provided a closer look at the agency's preliminary fiscal year 2026 Top 10 during a Sept. 15 presentation at the 2026 NSC Safety Congress & Expo in Indianapolis.

Cline said many of the problems OSHA encounters involve small and midsize employers that may not fully understand regulatory requirements. At the same time, he noted that many of the same compliance problems continue to appear year after year.

"These are all issues that seem to crop up again and again," Cline said.

Here is OSHA's preliminary fiscal 2026 Top 10:

10. Machine Guarding — 1910.212. Machine guarding ranked lowest in the Top 10 with 1,072 violations.

9. Eye and Face Protection — 1926.102. This category saw 1,120 violations. OSHA commonly encountered workers without eye and face protection, without side protection or wearing eyewear that did not meet applicable specifications, Cline said. Problems were particularly prevalent among framing, roofing, siding and masonry contractors and in residential construction and renovation.

8. Fall Protection; Training Requirements — 1926.503. This entered the Top 10 with 1,273 violations. Common problems included employees receiving no training, new workers beginning work before being trained, missing elements in training and a lack of certification. Cline said construction's fragmented structure can make oversight especially challenging as different crews and subcontractors move through jobsites.

7. Powered Industrial Trucks — 1910.178. This standard saw 1,379 violations. Training and evaluation were recurring issues, as was failing to provide refresher training when needed. OSHA also encountered defective equipment and missed daily or shift inspections. Warehousing, framing contractors and machine shops were among the industries where OSHA saw violations.

6. Respiratory Protection — 1910.134. This experienced 1,608 violations. Cline pointed to missing medical evaluations, fit testing and training as common problems. OSHA also encounters employers using the wrong respiratory protection for a hazard. Masonry contractors, auto body shops and machine shops were among the workplaces where violations occurred.

5. Ladders — 1926.1053. Ladders experienced 1,659 violations. Violations included ladders that did not extend three feet above landing surfaces, ladders used for purposes for which they were not designed, defective ladders and employees working from top steps. Roofing, framing and siding contractors were among the industries cited.

4. Scaffolding — 1926.451. Scaffolding had 1,725 violations. OSHA inspectors encountered missing or inadequate guardrails, scaffolds that were not fully decked and inadequate foundations or supports. Cline said OSHA saw problems across masonry, framing, siding and roofing operations as well as residential and commercial construction.

3. Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) — 1910.147. LOTO had 1,863 violations. Some employers lacked procedures, while others had procedures that workers were no longer following. OSHA also found missing periodic inspections and inadequate training for authorized employees.

2. Hazard Communication — 1910.1200. The standard saw 1,961 violations. Common problems included having no hazard communication program, inadequate employee training and failures involving safety data sheets. Cline emphasized that obtaining SDSs and training employees must become part of an employer's routine management practices.

1. Fall Protection — 1926.501. Fall protection experienced 4,041 violations. Fall protection topped the list for the 16th consecutive year. OSHA found workers without fall protection in residential construction as well as unprotected sides, edges and holes.

Cline acknowledged that managing such hazards can be difficult, but said employers must make fall protection a non-negotiable part of jobsite safety. "The bottom line is, as an employer, you have to have zero tolerance for fall protection," he said.

Safety professionals interested in putting the Top 10 data to work can register for Occupational Health & Safety's free Sept. 25 webinar, "Using OSHA's Top 10 as a Self-Assessment Tool." The program will examine how organizations can use the list to identify potential weaknesses in their own safety programs and strengthen compliance efforts. Register for the webinar.