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Today OSHA unveiled the Top 10 OSHA violations of 2013 at this year’s National Safety Council Congress and Expo in Chicago. Sponsored by Safety+Health magazine and The top ten list presentation drew a big crowd of attendees in the Expo hall.

Most hazards carried over from the 2012 list, with a couple gaining ground and a few falling. Fall Protection repeated as the number one violation as did HazCom Violations at #2 – which makes sense given all of the attention OSHA has put on HazCom since it revised the standard last year to align with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System (GHS). Other hazards rounding out the top are as follows:

VelocityEHS has a great Online Training Solution that can help you get your employees up to speed on items 1-10, with new training on GHS and Safety Data Sheets.

Most Cited Violation of 2013

1. Fall Protection (29 CFR 1926.501) 7250 violations

2. Hazard Communication (29 CFR 1910.1200)

3. Scaffolding (29 CFR 1926.451) – 3018 violations (Big problem, people using scaffoldings as ladders and ladders as scaffolding, assuming one could work for the other.)

4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)

5. Electrical – Wiring Methods (29 CFR 1910.305)

6. Powered Industrial Trucks (29 CFR 1910.178)

7. Ladders (1926.1053)

8. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)

9. Electrical – General (29 CFR 1910.303) 2863 violations

10. Machine Guarding – General Requirement (29 CFR 1910.212)

Most Cited Violations of 2012

1. Fall Protection (29 CFR 1926.501) 7250 violations

2. Hazard Communication (29 CFR 1910.1200) 4696 violations (mainly due to lack of training, labeling fail, access to MSDSs and lacking correct MSDSs)

3. Scaffolding (29 CFR 1926.451) – 3018 violations (Big problem, people using scaffoldings as ladders and ladders as scaffolding, assuming one could work for the other.)

4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)

5. Ladders (1926.1053)

6. Machine Guarding – General Requirement (29 CFR 1910.212)

7. Powered Industrial Trucks (29 CFR 1910.178)

8. Electrical – Wiring Methods (29 CFR 1910.305)

9. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)

10.Electrical – General (29 CFR 1910.303) 2863 violations

Most Cited Violations of 2011

1. Fall Protection (29 CFR 1926.501)

2. Scaffolding (29 CFR 1926.451)

3. Hazard Communication (29 CFR 1910.1200)

4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)

5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)

6. Electrical – Wiring Methods (29 CFR 1910.305)

7. Powered Industrial Trucks (29 CFR 1910.178)

8. Ladders (1926.1053)

9. Electrical – General (29 CFR 1910.303) 2863 violations

10. Machine Guarding – General Requirement (29 CFR 1910.212)

Most Cited Violations of 2010

1. Scaffolding
2. Fall Protection
3. Hazard Communication
4. Respiratory Protection
5. Ladders
6. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout
7. Electrical – Wiring Methods
8. Powered Industrial Trucks
9. Electrical – General
10. Machine Guarding