Most Cited OSHA Violations

OSHA cited violations of the following standards most often:

These statistics highlight the areas where employees and employers need to concentrate their safety awareness.

Recently, OSHA compliance officers changed their focus of inspections to the four areas that account for 90% of all fatalities in the construction industry.

Some Facts

The four leading causes of fatalities in construction are:

• 33% -- Falls from elevations

• 22% -- Being struck by hoisting equip., vehicles, falling objects, etc.

• 18% -- Caught in or between--for example, trenching cave-ins and being crushed by equipment or other means

• 17% -- Electrical shock

It Really Happens

A Salinas drywaller fell from a ladder that had been placed on a scaffold, which he was using to reach a skylight. In this instance he was very lucky. After falling 25 feet, his only injury was a facial fracture. Even though he was hospitalized for 4 days, this fall could have been much more serious. Although CAL/OSHA cited the employer for not having the ladder properly tied off, the actual cause of the accident was a defective scaffold.

Employer's Role

• Comply with OSHA standards, as spelled out in the construction safety orders.

• Use OSHA's guidelines to do a walk around inspection of your work site.

• Prevent accidents by taking the time to identify, eliminate and control hazards.

• Provide an effective accident and illness prevention program.

• Never allow untrained employees to perform hazardous work.

Worker's Role

• Be sure to comply with all occupational safety and health standards, rules, and regulations.

• Do not remove any safety devices, safeguards, notices or warnings.

• Cooperate with your employer's method or process of employee protection.

Discussing the most cited OSHA violations

• What are the occupational safety and health standards that apply to your job?

• Do you know what to do if you think there is a potential hazard on the job? Do you know whom in the company to notify?

• If an OSHA inspector approaches you on the job, what should you do? Whom should you direct him to?

• Where are the CAL/OSHA posters displayed on your job? Have you read them?