Happy Halloween season! We thought it would be important to discuss something SCARY: Workplace hazards and OSHA Violations. Federal law in the United States entitles workers to a safe workplace. At the 2023 NSC Safety Congress & Expo (National Safety Council), OSHA announced the top 10 safety violations for the fiscal year of 2023. It is the responsibility of employers to make sure the workplace is safe. Emergent Safety is your partner in protecting your workplace. Let us help you protect your business from the top OSHA violations of 2023:
10. Machine Guarding
Machine guarding is an umbrella term referring to any safe operating practices and maintenance procedures involving industrial machinery. As the name implies, this includes the use of safety guards on machines to keep workers safe from moving parts or flying debris. OSHA recorded 1,644 machine guarding violations for 2023.
9. Eye and Face Protection
Part of an employer’s responsibility to keep their workers safe includes providing eye and face protection and making sure the protective gear is used. Eye and face protection keeps workers safe from flying objects and chemical exposures. There were 2,074 citations related to eye and face protection in 2023.
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements
OSHA requires employers in the construction industry to provide fall protection training to each of their workers. In 2023, 2,112 violations were reported to OSHA.
7. Respiratory Protection
Caring for the health and safety of workers includes respiratory health. Respiratory protection rules include requirements for medical evaluations, fit testing on respiratory protective gear, and respiratory protection training. OSHA reports 2,481 violations in 2023.
6. Lockout / Tagout
Lockout/Tagout procedures prevent the accidental startup of machines and other equipment. This also keeps workers safe during maintenance, preventing the accidental release of stored energy while servicing a machine. OSHA requires employers to provide training on lockout/tagout procedures to keep workers safe around equipment. Lockout/tagout violations accounted for 2,554 violations in 2023.
5. Powered Industrial Trucks
This citation mostly refers to a failure to properly train, certify, and re-certify forklift operators. There were 2,561 violations reported to OSHA in 2023.
4. Scaffolding
OSHA requires employers train employees in the proper setup and use of scaffolding on job sites. There are requirements regarding weight limits, construction requirements, and other rules, too. Scaffolding violations accounted for 2,859 violations in 2023.
3. Ladders
Like scaffolding, OSHA has many requirements on the use of ladders in the workplace to keep workers safe. These requirements include rules for different ladders (step ladders, portable ladders, and fixed ladders) and their use. There were 2,978 Ladder violations in 2023.
2. Hazard Communication
Workplace hazard communication involves warning employees about hazardous chemicals in the workplace through training, Safety Data sheets, labeling, and so forth. There were 3,213 violations involving hazard communication in 2023.
1. Fall Protection – General Requirements
General safety requirements regarding fall protection were the number one reported OSHA violation in 2023, with 7,271 violations reported. These requirements involve the proper use of PPE and fall arrest systems that keep workers safe from falling on the job.
With each of these violations, prevention is the key, starting with proper training for workers and supervisors to keep employees safe in in the coming years. Contact Emergent Safety Supply to protect your business from these OSHA violations and more.
Happy Halloween season! We thought it would be important to discuss something SCARY: Workplace hazards and OSHA Violations. Federal law in the United States entitles workers to a safe workplace. At the 2023 NSC Safety Congress & Expo (National Safety Council), OSHA announced the top 10 safety violations for the fiscal year of 2023. It is the responsibility of employers to make sure the workplace is safe. Emergent Safety is your partner in protecting your workplace. Let us help you protect your business from the top OSHA violations of 2023:
10. Machine Guarding
Machine guarding is an umbrella term referring to any safe operating practices and maintenance procedures involving industrial machinery. As the name implies, this includes the use of safety guards on machines to keep workers safe from moving parts or flying debris. OSHA recorded 1,644 machine guarding violations for 2023.
9. Eye and Face Protection
Part of an employer’s responsibility to keep their workers safe includes providing eye and face protection and making sure the protective gear is used. Eye and face protection keeps workers safe from flying objects and chemical exposures. There were 2,074 citations related to eye and face protection in 2023.
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements
OSHA requires employers in the construction industry to provide fall protection training to each of their workers. In 2023, 2,112 violations were reported to OSHA.
7. Respiratory Protection
Caring for the health and safety of workers includes respiratory health. Respiratory protection rules include requirements for medical evaluations, fit testing on respiratory protective gear, and respiratory protection training. OSHA reports 2,481 violations in 2023.
6. Lockout / Tagout
Lockout/Tagout procedures prevent the accidental startup of machines and other equipment. This also keeps workers safe during maintenance, preventing the accidental release of stored energy while servicing a machine. OSHA requires employers to provide training on lockout/tagout procedures to keep workers safe around equipment. Lockout/tagout violations accounted for 2,554 violations in 2023.
5. Powered Industrial Trucks
This citation mostly refers to a failure to properly train, certify, and re-certify forklift operators. There were 2,561 violations reported to OSHA in 2023.
4. Scaffolding
OSHA requires employers train employees in the proper setup and use of scaffolding on job sites. There are requirements regarding weight limits, construction requirements, and other rules, too. Scaffolding violations accounted for 2,859 violations in 2023.
3. Ladders
Like scaffolding, OSHA has many requirements on the use of ladders in the workplace to keep workers safe. These requirements include rules for different ladders (step ladders, portable ladders, and fixed ladders) and their use. There were 2,978 Ladder violations in 2023.
2. Hazard Communication
Workplace hazard communication involves warning employees about hazardous chemicals in the workplace through training, Safety Data sheets, labeling, and so forth. There were 3,213 violations involving hazard communication in 2023.
1. Fall Protection – General Requirements
General safety requirements regarding fall protection were the number one reported OSHA violation in 2023, with 7,271 violations reported. These requirements involve the proper use of PPE and fall arrest systems that keep workers safe from falling on the job.
With each of these violations, prevention is the key, starting with proper training for workers and supervisors to keep employees safe in in the coming years. Contact Emergent Safety Supply to protect your business from these OSHA violations and more.
