SAN DIEGO – The National Safety Council and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced the preliminary Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations for fiscal year 2019. Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA directorate of enforcement programs, presented the Top 10 on the Expo floor as part of the NSC 2019 Congress and Expo, the world’s largest annual gathering of safety professionals.
While the rankings for OSHA’s Top 10 most cited violations typically vary little from year to year, it is important to refresh on this critical information. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501) tops this year’s list for the ninth consecutive year. Meanwhile, Eye and Face Protection (1926.102), a newcomer to last year’s list, remains in the No. 10 spot.
“Far too many preventable injuries and deaths occur on the job,” said Lorraine M. Martin, NSC president and CEO. “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 re-commit to safety.”
The Top 10 for FY 2019* are:
1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501) | 6,010 |
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. Eye and Face Protection (1926.102) | 1,411 |
A more in-depth look at the Top 10 violations for 2019 will be published in the December edition of Safety+Health magazine, a National Safety Council publication.
*Preliminary figures as of Aug. 15, 2019
About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council 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.
