The US federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has reported a list of the top 10 most frequently cited standards following inspections of worksites by federal OSHA for all industries, during federal Fiscal Year (FY 2024). The remainder of this note provides OSHA’s list, with links to the standards (i.e., general industry standards) I’ve written about in other notes.
What are the Top Ten most-cited standards?
OSHA’s Top Ten list for FY 2024 consists of the following standards:
- Fall Protection, general requirements (29 CFR 1926.501) (I wrote about the standards HERE, and about OSHA’s recent fall protection Safety Stand-down HERE)
- Hazard Communication, general industry (29 CFR 1910.1200) (I’ve written about this several times, most recently HERE)
- Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout), general industry (29 CFR 1910.147) (I wrote about this HERE)
- Ladders, construction (29 CFR 1926.1053) [related safety resources]
- Respiratory Protection, general industry (29 CFR 1910.134) (I wrote about this HERE)
- Powered Industrial Trucks, general industry (29 CFR 1910.178; aka forklifts) (I wrote about these HERE)
- Fall Protection Training, construction (29 CFR 1926.503) [related safety resources]
- Scaffolding, construction (29 CFR 1926.451) [related safety resources]
- Eye and Face Protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.102) [related safety resources]
- Machine Guarding, general industry (29 CFR 1910.212) (I wrote about these HERE)
Now what?
OSHA’s Top Ten list This list includes standards that apply to many employers, so it shouldn’t be surprising that larger numbers of violations are found. Accordingly, employers can respond to OSHA’s list by reviewing their compliance activities for these (and other) standards applicable to their worksites.
Self-Assessment Checklist
Are any of the organization's workplaces subject to standards cited in OSHA’s Top Ten list, including any of the following:
- Fall protection
- Hazard communication
- Lockout/tagout
- Respiratory protection
- Powered industrial trucks (forklifts)
- Machine guarding
If so, does the organization provide appropriate:
- Training
- Information
- Equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE)
Where Can I Go For More Information?
About the Author
Jon Elliott is President of Touchstone Environmental and has been a major contributor to STP’s product range for over 30 years.
Mr. Elliott has a diverse educational background. In addition to his Juris Doctor (University of California, Boalt Hall School of Law, 1981), he holds a Master of Public Policy (Goldman School of Public Policy [GSPP], UC Berkeley, 1980), and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Princeton University, 1977).
Mr. Elliott is active in professional and community organizations. In addition, he is a past chairman of the Board of Directors of the GSPP Alumni Association, and past member of the Executive Committee of the State Bar of California's Environmental Law Section (including past chair of its Legislative Committee).
You may contact Mr. Elliott directly at: tei@ix.netcom.com