By James L. Curtis, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: The National Safety Council (NSC) released an update to its annual list of OSHA’s top-ten cited standards. The list provides a starting point for employers to review their own safety programs on an annual basis. 

Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, presented OSHA’s preliminary Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for fiscal year 2022. The list was presented during the 2022 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, and summarized by the NSC.

According to OSHA and NSC, Fall Protection – General Requirements remains at the top of the list for the 12th year in a row, followed by Hazard Communication and Respiratory Protection.

Introducing the topic, Lorraine Martin, NSC president and CEO, said that “despite advancements in workplace safety, we continue to see the same types of violations each year. It’s more important than ever employers seek education and resources to keep their workers safe.”

Drumroll please…

The NSC indicated that the Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for FY 2022 are:

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.

For more information on any of these or any related topics, please contact the authors, your Seyfarth attorney, or any member of the Workplace Safety and Health (OSHA/MSHA) Group.