Failure to provide fall protection is the most common workplace safety violation, according to a recent National Safety Council (NSC) report about the top 10 most common Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) workplace safety violations.
Many of these OSHA violations cause workplace accidents that result in on-the-job injuries covered by workers' compensation. Even so, that's no excuse for employers to take workplace safety for granted.
Similar OSHA workplace safety violations appear each year
OSHA Region 6 administrator Eric Harbin recently presented the top 10 OSHA workplace safety violations at a professional conference. For the 13th year in a row, failure to provide fall protection and adhere to general requirements was the top OSHA workplace safety violation for fiscal year 2023, which ended Sept. 30.
"Although incredible advancements are made in safety each year, we continue to see many of the same types of violations appear on OSHA's Top 10 list," NSC president and CEO Lorraine Martin said. "As a safety community, we must come together to acknowledge these persistent trends and identify solutions to better protect workers."
OSHA's top 10 safety violations of 2023
For Fiscal Year 2023, the Top 10 most frequently cited OSHA workplace safety standard violations were:
- Fall Protection – General Requirements (OSHA Standard 1926.501) – 7,271 violations in Fiscal Year 2023. This rule involves making sure employers provide fall protection.
- Hazard Communication (1910.1200) – 3,213 violations involving hazardous materials and how they're labeled and classified, as well as educating employees about how to handle hazardous materials.
- Ladders (1926.1053) – 2,978 violations involving employers failing to provide workers with functioning ladders that meet OSHA standards.
- Scaffolding (1926.451) – 2,859 violations involving unsafe scaffolding.
- Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178) – 2,561 violations involving the unsafe use of forklifts, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks.
- Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) – 2,554 violations involving the use of hazardous energy.
- Respiratory Protection (1910.134) – 2,481 violations, including failure to provide respirators to employees working with harmful or hazardous materials.
- Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503) – 2,112 violations, including failure to provide training to employees who could be exposed to a hazardous fall.
- Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102) – 2,074 violations, including failing to provide workers with eye protection if their job requires such safety equipment.
- Machine Guarding (1910.212) – 1,644 violations, including failing to provide protective equipment for certain machines, including barrier guards and hand-tripping devices.
If you were hurt at work, contact an attorney
In most cases, injured workers in California are eligible to receive workers' compensation benefits if they get hurt while on the job. These benefits can be a lifeline since they provide financial compensation for medical care and replacement income if the injured employee cannot work.
Unfortunately, getting these benefits can be difficult for different reasons. Sometimes, an employer's workers' compensation insurance provider denies a claim because they say the injury is a pre-existing medical condition.
Other times, injured workers face intentional delays and other frustrating obstacles while navigating the process of seeking benefits.
Whatever the circumstances of your case, an experienced workers' compensation lawyer can help you every step of the way. Our law firm understands how California's workers' compensation system works, and we know how to help injured workers obtain the benefits they deserve. That's why we have such a strong track record of success.
Learn more about your legal rights. Contact us and schedule a free case review with a workers' compensation attorney who knows how to fight for injured workers in California. Our offices are located in San Diego, Chula Vista, and Temecula.