OSHA’s 2021 top 10 violations [slideshow]

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Help your work comp clients lower their risk by sharing OSHA’s 2021 top 10 violations

As a workers’ compensation agent, you’re committed to helping your clients improve their workplace safety and lower their experience mods. With that in mind, here is preliminary data released last month – OSHA’s top 10 violations for 2021 – to share with your work comp clients.

“Throughout the pandemic, workplace safety has become more important than ever,” said Lorraine Martin, National Safety Council President and CEO, as quoted in EHS Daily Advisor. “Although incredible advancements are made in safety each year, the OSHA Top 10 list reminds us that we must continue to pinpoint areas where we can improve so we can better prioritize workplace safety in the future world of work.”

Related: Share OSHA’s top 10 violations for 2020 with your work comp clients [slideshow]

Every year, OSHA publishes a list of the top 10 violations for the past 11 months, from Oct. 1 of the previous year through Aug. 31 of this year. The list was revealed in mid-October and varied little from the previous year. Here are this year’s Top 10 (swipe right-to-left to view each one), as reported by EHS Daily Advisor.

Related: Workplace safety reward programs help stop accidents before they start

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OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2021
Help your work comp clients lower their risk by sharing OSHA’s top 10 violations for 2021.
10. Machine Guarding
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2021
10.
Machine guarding
1,743 violations, most often by machine shop and fabricated metal manufacturing, for not properly anchoring fixed machinery, not guarding points of operation, not ensuring that guards are securely attached to machinery and improper guarding of fan blades.
9. Powered industrial trucks.
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2021
9.
Powered industrial trucks
2,093 violations, primarily against warehousing and storage facilities, fabricated and structural metal manufacturing and framing contractors, for deficient/damaged forklifts not removed from service, failing to safely operate a forklift, failing to retain certification of training and failing to evaluate forklift drivers every 3 years as required.
8. Personal Protective & Lifesaving Equipment - Eye & Face Protection
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2021
8.
Personal Protective & Lifesaving Equipment -
Eye & Face Protection
1,411 violations, most often for not providing eye and face protection for employees exposed to hazards from flying objects; failing to provide eye protection with side protection; and providing no protection from caustic hazards, gases and vapors.
7. Training to enhance fall protection
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2021
7.
Training to enhance fall protection
1,773 violations: not providing training to each employee who was required to receive it; failing to certify training in writing; inadequate training that led to poor retention by the trainee; and failing to retrain when the trainee did not retain the training content.
6. Lockout/Tagout.
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2021
6.
Lockout/Tagout
2,606 violations among sawmills, machine shops and plastic manufacturers. Citations included not establishing an energy control procedure, not using lockout/tagout equipment or devices, not providing adequate training and/or not conducting period evaluations of procedures.
5. Hazard communication.
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2021
5.
Hazard communication
3,671 violations, for failure to provide a written program, adequate training and/or develop and maintain data safety sheets. At the top of the list: auto repair facilities and painting contractors.
4. Scaffolding
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2021
4.
Scaffolding
2,813 violations, primarily against masonry, siding, roofing, and framing contractors, for improper decking, failing to ensure that scaffolds are adequately supported on a solid foundation and failure to provide guardrails.
3. Ladders (construction).
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2021
3.
Ladders (construction)
2,345 violations, primarily among roofing, framing, siding, and painting contractors, for ladders with structural defects, failing to have siderails extend 3 feet beyond a landing surface, using ladders for unintended purposes or using the top step of a stepladder.
2. Respiratory protection
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2021
2.
Respiratory protection
2,450 violations, most often among auto body refinishing, masonry contractors, painting contractors and wall covering contractors, for failing to establish a protection program, perform required fit testing or provide medical evaluations.
1. Fall protection.
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2021
1.
Fall protection
6,010 violations, primarily issued to roofing contractors, framing contractors, masonry contractors and new single-family housing construction contractors. Citations were mainly for failure to provide fall protection near unprotected sides or edges and on both low-slope and steep roofs.
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