Every year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration publishes its list of the most frequently cited workplace safety standards. The list serves as a barometer for the hazards that continue to put American workers at risk — and the compliance gaps that keep showing up on job sites across every industry.
Fiscal year 2024 follows a pattern that has been remarkably consistent for over a decade: fall protection remains the number one violation by a wide margin, and many of the same standards appear year after year. That consistency is not a sign that these hazards are impossible to manage — it is a sign that too many employers are still not giving them the attention they require.
Below, we break down each of the top 10 violations: what the standard requires, why employers get cited, and what you can do to stay compliant. Whether you are running a construction crew, managing a warehouse, or overseeing a manufacturing floor, this information applies to you.
Current OSHA Penalty Amounts
Before diving into the list, it is important to understand what is at stake financially. OSHA adjusts its penalty amounts annually for inflation. As of January 2024, the maximum penalties are:
- Serious / Other-Than-Serious: Up to $16,131 per violation
- Willful or Repeat: Up to $161,323 per violation
- Failure to Abate: Up to $16,131 per day beyond the abatement date
These are per-violation amounts. A single inspection that uncovers multiple instances of the same hazard — say, six workers on a roof without fall protection — can result in citations that stack quickly. And willful violations can trigger criminal referrals in cases involving worker fatalities.
The Top 10 Most Cited Standards — FY 2024
1. Fall Protection — General Requirements
29 CFR 1926.501Fall protection has held the number one spot for well over a decade, and it is not close. Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, accounting for roughly one-third of all construction fatalities each year.
What the standard requires: Employers must provide fall protection systems — guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems — for workers on walking/working surfaces with unprotected edges six feet or more above a lower level (in construction). The standard also covers holes, formwork, rebar, steep roofs, wall openings, and other fall hazards.
Why it is commonly cited:Workers are found on roofs, scaffolds, and elevated platforms without any fall protection in place. Guardrails are incomplete or missing toprails. Personal fall arrest systems are available but not worn. Employers sometimes assume the work is "quick enough" to skip protection — a decision that can be fatal.
Conduct a fall hazard assessment before work begins at any elevated location. Ensure every worker has access to properly fitted fall protection, and designate a competent person to inspect systems daily. If guardrails are the chosen method, verify all three components are in place: toprail, midrail, and toeboard.
2. Hazard Communication
29 CFR 1910.1200The Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) ensures that workers know about the chemical hazards they are exposed to. It applies to virtually every industry, from manufacturing plants to cleaning companies.
What the standard requires: Employers must develop a written hazard communication program, maintain safety data sheets (SDS) for all hazardous chemicals on-site, ensure containers are properly labeled with GHS-compliant labels, and train workers on chemical hazards they may encounter.
Why it is commonly cited: Written programs are missing or outdated. SDS binders are incomplete or inaccessible. Secondary containers lack proper labels. Workers have not received training on new chemicals introduced to the workplace.
Assign someone to maintain the SDS library and audit it quarterly. Every time a new chemical product enters the workplace, update the SDS collection, verify the label, and train affected employees before they use it.
3. Ladders (Construction)
29 CFR 1926.1053Ladder-related injuries send thousands of workers to the emergency room every year. This standard addresses ladder selection, use, condition, and positioning.
What the standard requires: Ladders must be in good condition, rated for the intended load, and used on stable, level surfaces. Extension ladders must extend at least three feet above the landing surface and be set at the proper 4:1 angle. Workers must maintain three points of contact and are prohibited from carrying loads that could cause a loss of balance.
Why it is commonly cited: Workers use damaged ladders, set them on uneven ground, or lean them at improper angles. Metal ladders are used near electrical hazards. Workers stand on the top cap or top rung. Ladders are used as makeshift scaffolding.
Implement a ladder inspection program — tag and remove defective ladders immediately. Train workers on the 4:1 rule, three-point contact, and load ratings. Consider whether a scaffold or aerial lift would be a safer alternative.
4. Scaffolding
29 CFR 1926.451Scaffolding violations frequently overlap with fall protection citations. Scaffolds must be erected, used, and dismantled under the direction of a competent person.
What the standard requires: Scaffolds must support their own weight plus four times the maximum intended load. Planking must be scaffold-grade and extend over supports by at least six inches. Guardrails are required when the platform is 10 feet or more above a lower level. Access must be provided via ladders, stair towers, or ramps — not by climbing cross-braces.
Why it is commonly cited: Scaffolds are erected by unqualified workers. Guardrails, midrails, or toeboards are missing. Planks are not secured or have gaps exceeding one inch. Workers climb cross-braces instead of using proper access points.
Only allow competent persons to direct scaffold erection and dismantling. Inspect scaffolds before each shift and after any event that could affect structural integrity (wind, rain, impact). Never allow workers to modify a scaffold without authorization.
5. Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts)
29 CFR 1910.178Forklifts are involved in roughly 85 deaths and 34,900 serious injuries per year in the United States. This standard governs operator training, truck maintenance, and safe operating practices.
What the standard requires: Only trained and evaluated operators may operate powered industrial trucks. Training must include formal instruction, practical exercises, and an evaluation in the workplace. Operators must be re-evaluated at least every three years and whenever unsafe operation is observed or workplace conditions change.
Why it is commonly cited: Operators have not received formal training or have only watched a video without hands-on evaluation. Training records are missing or incomplete. Re-certifications are overdue. Pre-shift inspections are not being performed or documented.
Maintain a roster of certified forklift operators with training dates and renewal schedules. Require documented pre-shift inspections. If you observe an operator driving unsafely, pull them off the truck and retrain before they resume operation.
6. Lockout/Tagout (Control of Hazardous Energy)
29 CFR 1910.147Failure to properly control hazardous energy during maintenance and servicing causes an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries per year. Lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures prevent machines from unexpectedly starting up while workers are performing maintenance.
What the standard requires: Employers must develop, document, and implement energy control procedures for each piece of equipment. Authorized employees must be trained on the specific procedures. Locks and tags must be individually assigned. Periodic inspections of energy control procedures are required at least annually.
Why it is commonly cited: Written procedures are generic or missing machine-specific steps. Annual inspections of LOTO procedures are not conducted. Workers use tags without locks, or group lockout procedures are not properly followed. Affected employees are not informed when LOTO is applied.
Develop machine-specific LOTO procedures (not one generic procedure for the entire facility). Conduct annual procedure audits with a different authorized inspector each year. Ensure every authorized employee has their own assigned lock.
7. Respiratory Protection
29 CFR 1910.134This standard covers the use of respirators to protect workers from airborne hazards including dusts, fumes, gases, and oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
What the standard requires: Employers must develop a written respiratory protection program, conduct medical evaluations before fit testing, perform annual fit tests for tight-fitting respirators, provide NIOSH-approved respirators appropriate for the hazard, and train workers on proper use, maintenance, and limitations.
Why it is commonly cited: Written programs are absent. Workers use respirators without medical clearance or fit testing. Fit tests are expired. Workers have facial hair that prevents a proper seal. Respirators are not properly stored or maintained.
Set up calendar reminders for annual fit testing. Keep medical evaluation and fit test records organized and accessible. Enforce the clean-shaven policy for tight-fitting respirators — no exceptions.
8. Fall Protection — Training Requirements
29 CFR 1926.503Having fall protection equipment is not enough — workers must be trained to use it correctly. This standard pairs with 1926.501 and is frequently cited alongside it.
What the standard requires: Each employee exposed to fall hazards must be trained by a competent person to recognize fall hazards, understand the procedures to minimize those hazards, and properly use fall protection systems. Training must be documented with the employee name, training date, and trainer signature.
Why it is commonly cited: Training records do not exist. Workers cannot demonstrate knowledge of how to inspect or use their fall protection equipment. Training was conducted by someone who is not a competent person. New hires are sent to elevated work areas before receiving training.
Train every employee before they are exposed to a fall hazard — not after. Retain signed training records and retrain whenever conditions change, new equipment is introduced, or a worker demonstrates a knowledge gap.
9. Eye and Face Protection
29 CFR 1926.102Eye injuries in the workplace send approximately 20,000 workers to the emergency room each year. Most of these injuries are preventable with proper eye and face protection.
What the standard requires: Employers must ensure that workers use appropriate eye and face protection when exposed to hazards such as flying particles, molten metal, chemical splashes, dust, and harmful radiation. Protective devices must comply with ANSI Z87.1 standards.
Why it is commonly cited: Workers are grinding, cutting, or welding without proper eye protection. Safety glasses are not rated for the specific hazard (e.g., using basic safety glasses when splash goggles are required). Side shields are missing. Workers remove eye protection because it fogs up or is uncomfortable.
Conduct a hazard assessment to determine what type of eye protection each task requires. Provide anti-fog, comfortable options — workers are far more likely to wear PPE that fits well. Keep a supply of replacements on-site.
10. Machine Guarding
29 CFR 1910.212Machine guarding protects workers from amputations, lacerations, and crushing injuries caused by moving parts on machinery. Amputations from unguarded machines remain one of the most severe and preventable injury types tracked by OSHA.
What the standard requires: One or more methods of machine guarding must protect operators and other workers from hazards created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips, and sparks. Guards must be affixed to the machine where possible and must not create additional hazards. Safeguards include barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices, electronic safety devices, and other measures.
Why it is commonly cited: Guards have been removed for maintenance and not replaced. Point-of-operation guards are missing on presses, saws, or grinders. Guards are in place but do not fully prevent access to the danger zone. Workers bypass interlock systems.
Never operate a machine with a guard removed. Implement a process where guards must be reinstalled and verified before a machine is returned to service after maintenance. Conduct periodic audits of all machine guarding — and involve operators, since they often know which guards are being bypassed.
What These Violations Have in Common
Look at the list as a whole and a few themes stand out:
- Training gaps: Multiple violations (fall protection training, powered industrial trucks, LOTO, respiratory protection) are driven by inadequate or undocumented training.
- Missing written programs: OSHA expects documented procedures — hazard communication programs, energy control procedures, respiratory protection programs. A verbal-only approach is a citation waiting to happen.
- Inspection failures: Many citations result not from the absence of equipment, but from the absence of regular inspections to verify that equipment is in place and functioning.
- Complacency: These are not obscure standards. They cover fundamental hazards that experienced safety professionals address daily. The companies that get cited are often the ones that have stopped paying attention.
A Practical Compliance Checklist
Use this as a starting point to evaluate your own operation:
- Conduct a comprehensive hazard assessment for every job site or facility — and update it when conditions change.
- Verify that all required written safety programs are current, site-specific, and accessible to employees.
- Audit your training records — ensure every worker has documented training for the hazards they face, and that certifications are not expired.
- Implement daily or per-shift inspections for equipment, PPE, scaffolds, ladders, and machine guards.
- Assign a competent person to each work area who has the authority to identify hazards and take corrective action immediately.
- Maintain a documentation system — inspections, training rosters, incident reports, and corrective actions should all be retrievable within minutes if OSHA shows up.
- Schedule annual reviews of all safety programs and energy control procedures, and track completion.
Not Sure Where Your Gaps Are?
Our team has helped employers across construction, manufacturing, energy, and general industry close compliance gaps before they become citations. We will assess your current posture and give you a clear path forward — no obligation.
Talk to Our Team