Top 10 Most Frequent OSHA Violations in 2015
At the recent National Safety Council (NSC) Congress & Expo in Atlanta, OSHA released its list of the Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations. See the list below. We’ve indicated each OSHA standard’s spot on last year’s Top 10 violations list after each entry. As you will see, the list did not change much.

GHS and HazCom Violations
Again this year, hazard communication appears as the second most often cited OSHA standard during workplace health and safety inspections. Known as HazCom for short, workplace hazard communication programs underwent significant changes in 2014 and2015, following OSHA’s adoption of labeling and documentation elements from the United Nation’s Globally Harmonized System for Classifying and Labeling Chemicals (GHS).
Mandatory compliance with the new chemical labeling and recordkeeping standards started in workplaces nationwide on June 1, 2015. For more information on GHS HazCom implementation in the US, click here.
GHS Training for Hazmat Shippers
For hazmat shippers, freight forwarders, and carriers, new chemical labels have the potential to cause confusion in the supply chain. Some GHS workplace hazards may not be regulated as hazardous materials under US DOT’s Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), but could still feature a workplace hazard label, giving logistics personnel pause and even delaying shipments, especially by air.
Be confident your shipments are labeled properly under OSHA rules and avoid delays in transit by attending the live, interactive GHS Compliance for Hazmat Shippers Webinar. Presented by an expert instructor, this two-hour webinar prepares you to identify labeling conflicts and ensure your packages are in full compliance with US DOT and OSHA GHS rules. Sign up for the next session: November 3, 2015.
- Fall Protection (§1926.501) – 6,721 citations (1)
- Hazard Communication (§1910.1200) – 5,192 (2)
- Scaffolding (§1926.451) – 4,295 (3)
- Respiratory Protection (§1910.134) – 3,305 (4)
- Lockout/Tagout (§1910.147) – 3,002 (6)
- Powered Industrial Trucks (§1910.178) – 2,760 (5)
- Ladders (§1926.1053) – 2,489 (7)
- Electrical – Wiring Methods (§1910.305) – 2,404 (8)
- Machine Guarding (§1910.212) – 2,295 (9)
- Electrical – General Requirements (§1910.303) – 1,973 (10) *

GHS and HazCom Violations
Again this year, hazard communication appears as the second most often cited OSHA standard during workplace health and safety inspections. Known as HazCom for short, workplace hazard communication programs underwent significant changes in 2014 and2015, following OSHA’s adoption of labeling and documentation elements from the United Nation’s Globally Harmonized System for Classifying and Labeling Chemicals (GHS).
Mandatory compliance with the new chemical labeling and recordkeeping standards started in workplaces nationwide on June 1, 2015. For more information on GHS HazCom implementation in the US, click here.
GHS Training for Hazmat Shippers
For hazmat shippers, freight forwarders, and carriers, new chemical labels have the potential to cause confusion in the supply chain. Some GHS workplace hazards may not be regulated as hazardous materials under US DOT’s Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), but could still feature a workplace hazard label, giving logistics personnel pause and even delaying shipments, especially by air.
Be confident your shipments are labeled properly under OSHA rules and avoid delays in transit by attending the live, interactive GHS Compliance for Hazmat Shippers Webinar. Presented by an expert instructor, this two-hour webinar prepares you to identify labeling conflicts and ensure your packages are in full compliance with US DOT and OSHA GHS rules. Sign up for the next session: November 3, 2015.
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