Roofing Safety

OSHA Reveals Top 10 Safety Violations for Fiscal Year 2021

fall-safety-standdown-osha — Image courtesy of OSHA.

ITASCA, Ill. — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced its preliminary Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for fiscal year 2021.

National Safety Committee (NSC) Safety+Health Associate Editor Kevin Druley introduced Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA's Directorate of Enforcement Programs, who presented the list virtually during the 2021 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, the world's largest annual gathering of safety professionals.

Fall Protection (1926.501) remains at the top of the list for the 11th year in a row, followed by Respiratory Protection (1910.134) and Ladders (1926.1053). Hazard Communication, which spent the last several years at number two, moved to the fifth spot on this year's list.

"Throughout the pandemic workplace safety has become more important than ever," said Lorraine Martin, NSC president and CEO. "Although incredible advancements are made in safety each year, the OSHA Top 10 list reminds us that we must continue to pinpoint areas where we can improve so we can better prioritize workplace safety in the future world of work."

The Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for FY 2021 are:

Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501): 5,295 violations
Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2,527
Ladders (1926.1053): 2,026
Scaffolding (1926.451): 1,948
Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 1,947
Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 1,698
Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503): 1,666
Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1,452
Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 1,420
Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,113