Fall Protection again tops OSHA’s ‘Top 10’ list of most frequently cited standards

Update: Final Top 10 list plus highest penalties, top 10 by region, and a Q&A with OSHA's Patrick Kapust in the December 2022 issue of Safety+Health

For the 12th straight fiscal year, Fall Protection – General Requirements is OSHA’s most frequently cited standard, the agency and Safety+Health announced Tuesday during the 2022 NSC Safety Congress & Expo.

Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, presented the preliminary list, which represents OSHA Information System data from Oct. 1, 2021, to Sept. 6. S+H Associate Editor Kevin Druley moderated the session from Ballroom 6E at the San Diego Convention Center.

The standards that comprise the Top 10 remained unchanged from FY 2021, with some movement within their ranking. Hazard Communication, which ranked fifth in FY 2021, climbed three spots to No. 2, with Respiratory Protection, Ladders and Scaffolding rounding out the top five.

The full list:

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501): 5,260 violations
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 2,424
3. Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2,185
4. Ladders (1926.1053): 2,143
5. Scaffolding (1926.451): 2,058
6. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 1,977
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 1,749
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503): 1,556
9. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1,401
10. Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,370

“From year to year, the Top 10 doesn’t change much, but there are little clues on what’s happening in the enforcement world,” Kapust said.

Finalized data, along with additional details and exclusive content, will be published in the December issue of S+H.