OSHA’s Top 10 Violations of Fiscal Year 2010 (TRN Safety Alert)
From Cliff Gerbick, ASP (The Reserves Network Director of Safety)
OSHA has released it annual list of the top 10 workplace violations for fiscal year 2010 (October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010). While the list remains mostly unchanged from previous years, OSHA has held to its promise to conduct more inspections and impose stiffer penalties. Although their “Top 10” list outlines the standards most often cited, it does not include the specific dollar amount that is fined for each of the listed violations.
The Top 10 Citations for FY 2010 are…
- Scaffolding – General Requirements
Standard 1926.451
Total Violations: 9,056
Top Sections Cited
1926.4511(g) – Requires workers on scaffolds to be protected from falls by a fall arrest system or guardrails.
1926.451(b) – Requires minimum specifications for construction of scaffolds.
1926.451(e) – Requires safe access to scaffolds and provides specifications for access methods, such as stairs and ladders.
- Fall Protection – General Requirements
Standard 1926.501
Total Violations: 8,224
Top Sections Cited
1926.501(b) – Requires fall protection when employees are potentially exposed to fall hazards, such as unprotected sides or edges, near holes or while performing leading edge work.
1926.501(c) – Requires protection from falling objects.
1926.501(a) – Requires working surfaces to have the strength and structural integrity to support workers.
- Hazard Communication
Standard 1910.1200
Total Violations: 7,179
Top Sections Cited
1910.1200(e) – Requires a written Hazard Communication program.
1910.1200(h) – Requires informing employees of hazardous chemicals and training employees on protections form the hazards.
1910.1200(g) – Contains requirements for Material Safety Data Sheets.
1910.1200(f) – Requirements for labels on hazardous chemicals.
- Respiratory Protection
Standard 1910.134
Total Violations: 4,224
Top Sections Cited
1910.134(c) – Requires the employer to develop a written respiratory protection program.
1910.134(e) – Sets the minimum requirements for the medical evaluation required to determine if an employee is fit to use a respirator.
1910.134(f) – Requires fit testing and specifies the types of fit testing allowed, procedures for fit testing and how the results must be uses.
- Ladders
Standard 1926.1053
Total Violations: 4,132
Top Sections Cited
1926.1053(b) – Provides standards for maintenance and use of ladders in construction.
1926.1053(a) – Provides specifications, such as ladder clearance and strength of ladders, for ladders used in construction.
- Lockout/Tagout
Standard 1910.147
Total Violations: 3,756
Top Sections Cited
1910.147(c) – Requires employers to develop, document and use written hazardous energy control procedures for servicing and maintenance.
1910.147(d) – Lists specific steps that must be performed during lockout/tagout, such as preparation for shutdown, safe energy isolation, verification and return to service.
1910.147(f) – Contains additional lockout/tagout requirements, such as coordination with contractors and group lockout.
- Electrical – Wiring Methods
Standard 1910.305
Total Violations: 3,628
Top Sections Cited
1910.305(g) – Requirements for safe use of flexible cords and cables.
1910.305(b) – Requirements for covers, boxes, cabinets and electrical fittings.
1910.305(a) – General requirements for wiring, such as for temporary electrical wiring and cable trays.
- Powered Industrial Trucks
Standard 1910.178
Total Violations: 3,453
Top Sections Cited
1910.178(l) – Requirements for powered industrial truck training.
1910.178(q) – Requirements for maintenance of powered industrial trucks.
1910.178(p) – Requirements for operation of powered industrial trucks.
- Electrical – General Requirements
Standard 1910.303
Total Violations: 2,977
Top Sections Cited
1910.303(b) – Requirements for examination, installation and use of electrical equipment.
1910.303(g) – Requirements for electrical equipment operator at more than 600 volts.
1910.303(f) – Requirements for disconnecting means and circuits.
1910.303(e) – Requirements for marking of electrical equipment with manufacturer’s name, voltage and other ratings as necessary, and requirements for durability of markings.
- Machine Guarding – General Requirements
Standard 1910.212
Total Violations: 2,712
Top Sections Cited
1910.212(a) – General Requirements for guarding machines; in particular, point of operation guarding.
1910.212(b) – Requirement for anchoring of machinery to prevent walking or moving of fixed machines.
Cliff Gerbick is the Director of Safety for The Reserves Network, a provider of “Total Staffing Solutions” in the office, industrial, professional and technical markets. To contact Cliff, email cgerbick@trnstaffing.com.
