OSHA's top 10 violations for 2018 revealed

List revealed at National Safety Congress & Expo this week

HOUSTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the preliminary top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations for the fiscal year of 2018 (as of Oct. 1), which includes fall protection general requirements, hazard communication, scaffolding and more. 

The list was revealed at the National Safety Council Congress & Expo on Oct. 23 by Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OHSA’s directorate of enforcement programs.

"Knowing how workers are hurt can go a long way toward keeping them safe," said National Safety Council president and CEO, Deborah A.P. Hersman. "The OSHA top 10 list calls out areas that require increased vigilance to ensure everyone goes home safely each day."

The top 10 preliminary list for OHSA violations is as follows:

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501), 7,270 instances     
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200), 4,552 instances
3. Scaffolding (1926.451), 3,336 instances            
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134), 3,118 instances     
5. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147), 2,944 instances    
6. Ladders (1926.1053), 2,812 instances 
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178), 2,294 instances
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503), 1,982 instances             
9. Machine Guarding (1910.212), 1,972 instances 
10. Eye and Face Protection (1926.102), 1,536 instances      

While the rankings for OSHA’s Top 10 most cited violations vary little from year to year, violation 10 on this year’s list, eye and face protection, was not on the 2017 list.