Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or what is commonly known as OSHA, is a federal agency responsible for monitoring workplace safety. 

This organization enforces safety protocols and levies citations and fines for violating companies of the industry’s safety requirements.  

However, OSHA violations happen when the company or even the employee ignores real and potential safety hazards.

Knowing the violations could also help improve compliance management and guarantee that the business would be able to meet the required safety protocols. 

Of course, violations don’t always mean that an incident happened, but they can be substantiated during the process of OSHA inspection. But regardless of the infraction’s severity, the company may receive a fine or citation. 

Perhaps you’re visiting OSHA.com to learn more about its violations. But in this article, you will learn tips about common OSHA violations to prevent committing such in the future. So without further ado, let’s get started. 

List OSHA Violations

Here are the most common OSHA violations recorded: 

Fall Protection Requirements 

This Fall Protection Standard by OSHA remains at the top of the list for the 12th time. The outlines of the standards when fall protection is needed and what safety systems and controls should use to prevent falls. 

Respiratory Protection

If you happen to check OSHA.com, there are probably about 2,185 citations found for respiratory protection. It’s a standard that directs employers to always keep the respiratory protection program whenever workers should wear respirators to protect themselves. 

It also includes rules for training employees and selecting respirators, cleaning, fitting, maintenance, use, and repairs. 

Hazard Communication 

This standard requires companies to give information about classifying and labeling the chemicals in the workplace. This could also set the requirements for employee training, use of safety data sheets, and even keep the written workplace hazard communication plan. 

Ladders 

OSHA’s Standard for Ladders and Stairways establishes requirements for the safe use of extension ladders, job-made ladders, and even step ladders. 

With that, no worker should ever stand, sit, or climb on the platform of a stepladder. Such violations also occur when the workers use ladders for nothing like bracing, scaffolding, or as a work platform. 

Scaffolding

The Standard for Scaffolding covers the safety requirements for suspended scaffolds, airlifts, supported scaffolds, and others. The common hazards about scaffolds include falls from the elevation because of a lack of a fall protection. 

There was also the scaffold collapse caused by overloading or instability, getting struck by the falling tools, debris, or work materials. Even the electrocution because of scaffolds located close to the overhead power lines. 

Powered Industrial Trucks 

This is a violation of Federal law for those 18 years old and below, and it’s about operating the forklift or anyone over 18 years old who is not trained well. 

This standard provides design construction and information for powered industrial trucks like forklifts or lift trucks used in lowering, raising, or removing large objects. 

This standard also requires employers to ensure that truck operators are trained well regarding safety standards and operation. 

Tagout/Lockout 

This standard protects employees from accidents that result in amputations and other serious injuries. It should be avoided as it may arise from unexpected cycling and startups of machines or even the release of the stored energy from the machine during servicing and maintenance. 

If the employee gets injured or dies because of a willful violation, it would end up having the company faces criminal charges and even a fine of up to $250,000. Because not having this program is another common example of OSHA violation. 

Training for Fall Protection

This violation is different from the Fall Protection Standard mentioned a while ago. This relates to physical control hazards and even fall protection systems. It’s also a standard that provides guidance on the required training of employees and educating them towards fall prevention. 

PPE and Lifesaving Equipment – Face and Eyes Protection

This is a standard that requires the company or employers to protect their employees from the face and eyes. It protects from environmental irritants and chemicals whenever necessary. 

Machine Guarding 

This standard describes safeguards in protecting employees from flying chips, rotating parts, sparks, and other hazards caused by the machinery. 

Guards must be affixed to the machine when possible and secure elsewhere for any reason that attachment to the machine isn’t possible. The guard must not offer the accident hazard in itself. 

Wrapping Up

When working in hazardous environments, it’s clear that OSHA violations should not be taken for granted, as they could have serious consequences. So, for companies to ensure that the workplace is compliant and safe, necessary actions should be applied to prevent them. 

Prevention is always better, and when it comes to compliance, companies should provide adequate training and guidance to the employees because, by being updated on the OSHA regulations, the company can always ensure that the workplace is compliant. For more details about OSHA regulations, don’t hesitate to visit OSHA.com to help you.