Top 10 Most Cited OSHA Standards |

OSHA’s Top 10 Remains Much the Same.

Fall Protection – General Requirements is OSHA’s most frequently cited standard for the 14th consecutive year. The announcement was made during the 2024 NSC Safety Congress & Expo in Orlando.

OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, Scott Ketcham, presented the initial list – which represents OSHA Information System data from Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 5. (The finalized data, will be released in December.) “OSHA takes falls very seriously,” Ketcham said during the presentation. “We’re trying to curb this hazard and make inroads to help people understand the standard and requirements. Too many lives are lost each year from workers who fall to their death.”

As is typical, the standards that comprise the Top 10 remained unchanged from FY 2023. However, there was movement within the ranking. Respiratory Protection climbed three spots to No. 4. It was seventh in FY 2023. “What’s more precious than our lungs?” Ketcham asked the audience. Additionally, Scaffolding, fell four spots to No. 8.

The Full List of Top 10 Most Cited OSHA Standards:

Fall Protection– General Requirements: 6,307 violations
Hazard Communication: 2,888 violations
Ladders: 2,573 violations
Respiratory Protection: 2,470 violations
Lockout/Tagout: 2,443 violations
Powered Industrial Trucks: 2,248 violations
Fall Protection – Training Requirements: 2,050 violations
Scaffolding: 1,873 violations
Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection: 1,814 violations
Machine Guarding: 1,541 violations

While OSHA generally does not post the official top ten list of violations until after the first week in April (in order to allow the prior fiscal year’s inspection data to finalize), it is unlikely that the top ten will see any changes to what was announced at the Expo. Here at National Safety Compliance we offer a variety of resources for each of these OSHA standards. Employers can utilize training options to improve their company’s efforts to keep workers safe and ensure that every employee makes it home safely.