Frequently Cited OSHA Safety Violations (And How To Avoid Them)

Several types of violations make Top 10 lists year after year. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other organizations release periodic lists of violations to inform safety and facility managers of the most common violations that put workers at risk of injury or death. Some published lists focus on the previous year’s “Top 10” violations (Sidebar 1); others focus on Willful Violations that can carry criminal penalties (Sidebar 2).

As a Product Specialist with Commercial Industrial Supply, Jeff Maree helps facility managers ensure that they have the right products to keep their personnel, equipment and processes safe. He offers the following advice for avoiding several of the most common violations.

Violation: Fall Protection

Fall protection, Maree says, ranks first on virtually every “frequently cited” list of violations. In 2013, OSHA wrote citations for nearly 9000 incidents related to protecting against falls—that’s about two dozen for each day of the year. In the construction industry, falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs account for one-third of all construction-worker deaths. Workers in health services, wholesale distribution operations and retail industries area also at significant risk of falls.

What to do

OSHA points to a three-step process to reduce fall hazards:

1. Plan carefully by assessing how the job will be done and what specific tasks need to be accomplished. That assessment will help you identify what kind of safety equipment is needed.
2. Provide  proper equipment. OSHA regulations specify a height of six feet or more as the threshold where falling can cause serious injuries. Be sure to provide personal fall arrest systems (PFASs), ladders and scaffolding appropriate to the job. For example, if a worker is required to hold heavy materials while on a ladder, substitute a scissors lift or, minimally, a ladder with a working platform and handrail barricades. Or, if employees are working on a roof with a PFAS, provide each with a harness to tie into the anchor point.
3. Train your employees. Give them hands-on training in the proper use of ladders, scaffolding and safety equipment they will use on the job. Teach them to recognize hazards: skylights they could fall into, ladders not set on a level surface or tasks that require them to stand sideways on a ladder.

Refer also to OSHA Standards 1926.451 and 1926.053 for rules pertaining to scaffolding and ladders, which collectively accounted for over 9000 citations in 2013.

Violation: Hazard Communication

Exposure to hazardous chemicals remains an occupational threat throughout many industry sectors. OSHA revised its rules regarding hazardous chemicals with the intent to clearly identify the risk posed by each chemical, to communicate that information to workers, and to minimize workers’ exposure to them.

The new rules specify a 16-part Safety Data Sheet (previously known as Material Safety Data Sheet, or MSDS) that must accompany any hazardous chemical to which workers may be exposed. Employers were required to have completed training of their workforce on the new Safety Data Sheets by Dec. 1, 2013.

What to do

Reduce the likelihood of being cited for these violations by taking these three steps:

1. Create a written hazard-communication program to train employees. Committing the program to written form is an important first step in complying with OSHA standards, and for protecting your workforce.
2. Deliver formal training to your workforce so personnel understand signal words and the information contained on Safety Data Sheets.
3. Assure that chemicals at your workplace are properly labeled and that Safety Data Sheets on each chemical used at your facility are on file and accessible to employees.

Violation: Electrical, Wiring Methods

More than 3700 citations were written in 2013 for violations involving electrical wiring. Nearly one-third of these were due to the misuse of “flexible cords and cables”—aka “extension cords.” OSHA Standard 1910.035 restricts the use of temporary wiring (including extension cords) to limited situations like “remodeling, maintenance, or repair of buildings, structures, or equipment.” It further requires that temporary wiring be removed as soon as the project for which it was installed is completed.

Other “wiring methods” outlined under this rule include:

• How electrical cables enter boxes, cabinets or fittings. Violations occur when cables are not protected against abrasion as they enter a box; when cables are not secured within the box with strain relief; because unused openings in the box are left open; and because workers use temporary wiring (especially extension cords) where permanent wiring is required.
• Identification of cables, splices and terminations. A common citation is for flexible cords being used without suitable strain relief.

What to do

Train your employees to recognize electrical hazards, and require those whose job is to install electrical cables, circuits and equipment to use suitable enclosures and covers that comply with OSHA standards.

Willful Violations

When an employer knowingly violates an OSHA standard, or through indifference chooses not to observe it, a Willful Violation can be cited. The employer may be aware it is violating a standard, or be aware that a hazardous condition exists but does not take steps to eliminate it.

Penalties for Willful Violations are far greater than for violations defined as “Serious” (which carry a $7000 penalty). Maree says it’s worthwhile to review the most often-cited Willful Violations lists and implement measures to prevent them—along with the possibility of criminal charges, fines of up to $500,000 and six months in prison that can be associated with such violations.

Summary

Safety training and safety awareness are important first steps to avoiding workplace injuries. It’s crucial for workers to have a solid understanding of the safety hazards they can expect to encounter in their particular lines of work.

For more details on workplace safety, visit OSHA.gov. While you’re there, familiarize yourself with the “Safety & Health Training Resources” area of the agency’s online library (osha.gov/dte/library/index.html). It offers a wealth of material, including booklets, DVDs, Web-based courseware and posters, designed to bring your safety program into compliance with OSHA standards.  MT

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