Blog

OSHA announced last September its preliminary Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations for 2022. Number one is fall protection. Numbers 2-5 are hazard communication, respiratory protection, ladders and scaffolding. Numbers 6-10 are lockout/tagout, powered industrial trucks, fall protection training, personal protective and lifesaving equipment and machine guarding.

“OSHA’s annual Top 10 list helps define trends so safety professionals can find the appropriate solutions,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC president and CEO. “Despite advancements in workplace safety, we continue to see the same types of violations each year. It’s more important than ever employers seek education and resources to keep their workers safe.”

Related: Steps to reduce on-the-job injuries

If you’re a workers’ compensation producer, or a commercial lines producer, you’re committed to helping your clients increase their workplace safety and lower their experience mods. With that in mind, here is the preliminary data for OSHA’s top 10 violations for 2022, to share with your work comp clients.

Cover Slide

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

Help your work comp clients lower their risk by sharing OSHA’s top 10 violations for 2022.

10. Machine Guarding

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

10.

Machine guarding

1,743 violations, most often by machine shop and fabricated metal manufacturing, for not properly anchoring fixed machinery, not guarding points of operation, not ensuring that guards are securely attached to machinery and improper guarding of fan blades.

9. Personal Protective & Lifesaving Equipment - Eye & Face Protection

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

9.

Personal Protective & Lifesaving Equipment -
Eye & Face Protection

1,411 violations, most often for not providing eye and face protection for employees exposed to hazards from flying objects; failing to provide eye protection with side protection; and providing no protection from caustic hazards, gases and vapors.

8. Training to enhance fall protection

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

8.

Training to enhance fall protection

1,773 violations: not providing training to each employee who was required to receive it; failing to certify training in writing; inadequate training that led to poor retention by the trainee; and failing to retrain when the trainee did not retain the training content.

7. Powered industrial trucks.

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

7.

Powered industrial trucks

2,093 violations, primarily against warehousing and storage facilities, fabricated and structural metal manufacturing and framing contractors, for deficient/damaged forklifts not removed from service, failing to safely operate a forklift, failing to retain certification of training and failing to evaluate forklift drivers every 3 years as required.

6. Lockout/Tagout.

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

6.

Lockout/Tagout

2,606 violations among sawmills, machine shops and plastic manufacturers. Citations included not establishing an energy control procedure, not using lockout/tagout equipment or devices, not providing adequate training and/or not conducting period evaluations of procedures.

5. Scaffolding

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

5.

Scaffolding

2,813 violations, primarily against masonry, siding, roofing, and framing contractors, for improper decking, failing to ensure that scaffolds are adequately supported on a solid foundation and failure to provide guardrails.

4. Ladders (construction).

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

4.

Ladders (construction)

2,345 violations, primarily among roofing, framing, siding, and painting contractors, for ladders with structural defects, failing to have siderails extend 3 feet beyond a landing surface, using ladders for unintended purposes or using the top step of a stepladder.

3. Respiratory protection

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

3.

Respiratory protection

2,450 violations, most often among auto body refinishing, masonry contractors, painting contractors and wall covering contractors, for failing to establish a protection program, perform required fit testing or provide medical evaluations.

2. Hazard communication.

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

2.

Hazard communication

3,671 violations, for failure to provide a written program, adequate training and/or develop and maintain data safety sheets. At the top of the list: auto repair facilities and painting contractors.

1. Fall protection.

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

1.

Fall protection

6,010 violations, primarily issued to roofing contractors, framing contractors, masonry contractors and new single-family housing construction contractors. Citations were mainly for failure to provide fall protection near unprotected sides or edges and on both low-slope and steep roofs.

This article originally appeared on Arrowhead’s corporate blog and is reposted with permission.