The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), was created in 1970 to ensure safe working conditions for all employees. OSHA is a small agency with around 2,200 inspectors covering 130 million workers around the United States so it is critical that organizations proactively train workers on OSHA regulations to prevent workplace accidents and injuries. The current top 10 list of most commonly cited OSHA safety violations account for about half of all of the violations listed by OSHA, and with proper training they can be prevented.
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- Fall protection (8,241 violations): When workers are at a height of four feet or more, they are at risk and need to be protected.
- Hazard communication (6,156 violations): Chemical manufacturers have to make sure employees are safe from chemicals through labels and hazard information.
- Scaffolding (5,423 violations): Scaffold accidents happen when support such as wood or planks give out.
- Respiratory protection (3,879 violations): Hazards such as harmful dust, vapors, sprays, gases, fogs, smokes and mists can cause lung impairment, diseases or cancer. Respirators can protect workers against these things.
- Lockout/tagout (3,254 violations): These specific practices keep employees safe from the unexpected startup of machinery and equipment or hazardous energy releasing.
- Powered industrial trucks (3,340 violations): Many injuries related to industrial trucks or forklifts occur in the workplace in the US. Examples of these injuries include driving off loading docks, falling between docks or being struck by a truck.
- Ladders (3,311 violations): Falling from a ladder is the cause of 8% of all occupational fatalities from trauma.
- Electrical- wiring methods (3,452 violations): Electricity can be very dangerous especially for people who work with it directly; including work on overhead lines, circuit assemblies and cable harnesses.
- Machine guarding (2,701 violations): Machines along with their parts and functions must be safeguarded to eliminate hazards.
- Electrical- general requirements (2,745 violations): Even people who work with electricity indirectly may be exposed to electrical hazards.
Proactively training members of your organization on safety and OSHA regulations can prevent costly accidents and lost time. Check out these courses to keep your workplace safe and prevent accidents.