OSHA’s Top 10

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Intro and Top 10 lists

Top 10 by OSHA region

Quiz: Which industries had the most citations?

Top 10 penalties

Q&A with OSHA's Scott Ketcham

Richard Fairfax reflects on Top 10’s history

Citation Solutions

Top 10 penalties

The list of OSHA’s highest proposed monetary penalties in fiscal year 2024 comprises those stemming from a single incident or related incidents in which one or more employers are alleged to have failed to adhere to safe work practices. These failures put workers at risk for injuries and death. The following information was gathered from press releases issued by federal OSHA between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, as well as data provided by the agency’s communications team.

(Note: Dollar amounts may be reduced as part of a settlement agreement or litigation.)

$2.5 million

EMPLOYER: MDLG Inc. (operating as Phenix Lumber Co.)
LOCATION: Phenix City, AL (OSHA Region 4)
BUSINESS TYPE: Sawmill
INSPECTION TRIGGER: Fatality
EVENT: A 67-year-old sawmill supervisor climbed on top of an auger to access a hard-to-reach area to unclog a woodchipper and was fatally caught in the machinery. The worker stepped onto the pan of the auger, which had been restarted, and lost his footing.A 67-year-old sawmill supervisor climbed on top of an auger to access a hard-to-reach area to unclog a woodchipper and was fatally caught in the machinery. The worker stepped onto the pan of the auger, which had been restarted, and lost his footing.
MAJOR CITATIONS: The company was cited for 15 willful violations, five serious violations and one repeat violation.

“Phenix Lumber’s willful disregard for the well-being of their employees leaves another family to grieve the loss of their loved one. This must stop. This worksite has become all too familiar to OSHA. Phenix and its owners have a legal responsibility to follow federal safety laws that are meant to prevent the exact hazards that cost this employee’s life.” – Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA regional administrator in Atlanta

 

$1.9 million

EMPLOYER: Wagner Construction Inc.
LOCATION: Minot, ND (OSHA Region 8)
BUSINESS TYPE: Water and sewer line construction
INSPECTION TRIGGER: Planned
EVENT: The agency discovered that the company exposed workers to numerous trenching hazards during a project that included a residential water main replacement.
MAJOR CITATIONS: OSHA cited Wagner Construction for 16 repeat violations and one serious violation.

“Wagner Construction failed to keep their promises to the U.S. government and its employees by ignoring one of the construction industry’s most lethal hazards. With the substantial increase in the number of construction projects in North Dakota and across the nation, employers like Wagner Construction must take all necessary steps to make sure employees are safe on jobsites.” – Jennifer Rous, OSHA regional administrator in Denver

 

$1.3 million

EMPLOYER: Florence Hardwoods LLC
LOCATION: Florence, WI (OSHA Region 6)
BUSINESS TYPE: Sawmill
INSPECTION TRIGGER: Fatality
EVENT: An untrained 16-year-old worker became trapped in a stick conveyor machine while attempting to address an issue. The worker sustained crushing injuries to the chest and abdomen before being rescued. He was transported to the hospital and died two days later.
MAJOR CITATIONS: Florence Hardwoods was cited for 16 serious, eight willful and four repeat violations.

“It is incomprehensible how the owners of this company could have such disregard for the safety of these children. Their reckless and illegal behavior tragically cost a boy his life, and actions such as theirs will never be tolerated.” – Doug Parker, OSHA administrator

 

$1,038,918

EMPLOYER: Giant Construction Corp.
LOCATION: Barrigada, Guam (OSHA Region 9)
BUSINESS TYPE: Water and sewer line construction
INSPECTION TRIGGER: Planned
EVENT: The company neglected to provide the necessary safety equipment to employees working in trenches deeper than 5 feet.
MAJOR CITATIONS: OSHA cited Giant Construction for nine willful and two serious violations. It was the sixth time since 2014 the agency has cited the company.

“Giant Construction Corp. has shown a flagrant disregard for the safety of its employees and put workers at risk of serious and potentially fatal injuries. The significant penalties assessed after this inspection send a clear signal to Giant Construction Corp. and other employers that OSHA will not tolerate such callous attitudes when employees are endangered.” – Roger Forstner, OSHA area office director in Honolulu

 

$1,019,096

EMPLOYER: Florenza Marble & Granite Corp.
LOCATION: Chicago (OSHA Region 5)
BUSINESS TYPE: Cut stone and stone product manufacturing
INSPECTION TRIGGER: Referral
EVENT: An agency inspection to conduct air sampling at the company uncovered significant dust in the workplace and improper use of respirators. OSHA found that Florenza was exposing workers to unsafe levels of silica dust – as much as six times more than permissible limits – and further learned of multiple workers, including a father and son, needing lung transplants related to silicosis, an incurable lung disease.
MAJOR CITATIONS: The company was cited for 11 serious and 10 willful violations. Willful violations included those for failure to both establish a baseline of workers’ medical health to monitor silica exposure and perform medical surveillance to monitor exposure.

“Our compliance officers found silica dust levels nearly six times higher than permissible levels, and the owner made little or no effort to protect his employees from exposure. To make matters worse, [owner Brad] Karp was indifferent to his employees’ suffering and refused to accept any responsibility for protecting them, even after two insurance carriers dropped the company for its egregious defiance of workplace safety standards.” – Bill Donovan, OSHA regional administrator in Chicago

 

$1,017,248

EMPLOYER: Adrian Construction Group LLC
LOCATION: Franklin Lakes, NJ (OSHA Region 2)
BUSINESS TYPE: Framing contractor
INSPECTION TRIGGER: Planned
EVENT: As part of an inspection conducted under an OSHA Local Emphasis Program on falls in construction, an agency inspector observed violations for lack of fall protection, failure to ensure the use of eye protection, unsafe scaffolding and failure to provide hard hats for overhead hazards.
MAJOR CITATIONS: OSHA cited Adrian Construction for six willful and four serious violations. The company also was placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

“Adrian Construction, under the ownership of Adrian Perea, continues to show a blatant disregard for the safety of their employees. Placing them on the list of severe violators will intensify our scrutiny of their operations.” – Doug Parker, OSHA administrator

 

$810,703

EMPLOYER: Qualawash Holdings LLC (operating as Quala Services)
LOCATION: La Porte, TX (OSHA Region 6)
BUSINESS TYPE: Tank cleaning contractor
INSPECTION TRIGGER: Fatality
EVENT: A 53-year-old worker died from possible carbon monoxide poisoning and/or asphyxiation while cleaning a bulk liquid waste tank that had contained acetic acid. OSHA found that Qualawash didn’t ensure atmospheric testing was completed on the tank before the worker entered. The employer received citations for the same violations in 2020 after two workers died under similar circumstances the previous year.
MAJOR CITATIONS: Qualawash was cited for eight repeat and seven serious violations. Among the serious violations were those for not providing an attendant when workers entered permit-required confined spaces and overexposing workers to carbon monoxide.

“Had Quala Services acted responsibly and made the safety reforms as required in 2020, another employee would not have lost their life. This employer’s complete disregard for its employees’ safety is unacceptable. Complying with safety and health standards is not optional. OSHA will use all of its tools to ensure employers follow the law.” – Larissa Ipsen, OSHA area director in Houston

 

$551,719

EMPLOYER: CJ TMI Manufacturing America LLC
LOCATION: Robbinsville, NJ (OSHA Region 2)
BUSINESS TYPE: Frozen food manufacturer
INSPECTION TRIGGER: Referral
EVENT: An OSHA investigation determined that a worker amputation was a result of the company exposing employees to lockout/tagout hazards.
MAJOR CITATIONS: OSHA cited the employer for three willful, two serious and one repeat violation. The agency placed CJ TMI in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program in 2021.

“This company continues to leave its workers vulnerable to hazardous conditions that threaten their safety. These hazards must be addressed immediately to prevent another incident.” – Paula Dixon-Roderick, OSHA area director in Marlton, NJ

 

$536,965

EMPLOYER: Legacy Cooperative
LOCATION: Hemingford, NE (OSHA Region 7)
BUSINESS TYPE: Grain cooperative
INSPECTION TRIGGER: Complaint
EVENT: The employer allowed the buildup of more than one-eighth inch of combustible grain dust in crucial housekeeping areas, including in the bottom belt tunnel and around elevator legs. These overlooked risks for fire and explosions, as well as failure to maintain dust collection systems, resulted in multiple violations.
MAJOR CITATIONS: Legacy Cooperative was cited for 16 serious and two willful violations, including those for not regularly inspecting equipment, exposing workers to fall hazards from unguarded stairway holes and a lack of handrails, and failing to close electrical openings.

“Grain dust fires and explosions are a well-known industry hazard, which makes Legacy Cooperative’s failure to control dust where a belt’s friction could easily cause ignition inexcusable. Employers must develop companywide safety procedures to mitigate known grain handling dangers and ensure workers are trained to recognize hazards.” – Matthew Thurlby, OSHA area director in Omaha, NE

 

$536,262

EMPLOYER: Jindal Tubular USA LLC
LOCATION: Bay Saint Louis, MS (OSHA Region 4)
BUSINESS TYPE: Iron and steel pipe and tube manufacturer
INSPECTION TRIGGER: Fatality
EVENT: One worker died and another sustained multiple fractures to both legs when a steel pipe rolled over them as they built a pipe stack. The stack collapsed after the workers removed the chock block.
MAJOR CITATIONS: OSHA cited Jindal Tubular for 13 serious and three repeat violations. The employer has been cited for 32 major violations since 2019.

 

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