Every year, OSHA publishes the most frequently cited workplace safety standards. The list has been remarkably consistent for over a decade — fall protection has been #1 every single year. Using OSHARecord data from 55,035 inspections across 14,664 companies, we break down each standard, explain why it's cited so often, and identify which companies and industries are the worst offenders.
Of the 55,380 total violations in our database, 30,499 (55%) are classified as serious — meaning there is substantial probability of death or serious physical harm.
The Top 10 at a Glance
- Fall Protection — General Requirements (1926.501) — Construction
- Hazard Communication (1910.1200) — General Industry
- Ladders (1926.1053) — Construction
- Scaffolding — General Requirements (1926.451) — Construction
- Respiratory Protection (1910.134) — General Industry
- Lockout/Tagout (Control of Hazardous Energy) (1910.147) — General Industry
- Fall Protection — Training Requirements (1926.503) — Construction
- Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts) (1910.178) — General Industry
- Electrical — Wiring Methods (1910.305) — General Industry
- Machine Guarding — General Requirements (1910.212) — General Industry
#1: Fall Protection — General Requirements (1926.501)
Category: Construction · Max penalty: $16,131 per serious violation; $161,323 for willful/repeat
Requires employers to provide fall protection systems for workers on walking/working surfaces with unprotected sides or edges 6 feet or more above a lower level. Includes guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest systems.
Why is this cited so often?
Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, accounting for roughly 35% of all construction fatalities. Many employers fail to provide guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems at heights — especially on roofs, scaffolds, and leading edges.
#2: Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
Category: General Industry · Max penalty: $16,131 per serious violation
Requires chemical manufacturers and employers to evaluate hazards, provide Safety Data Sheets (SDS), label containers, and train workers on chemical risks in their workplace.
Why is this cited so often?
Many employers fail to maintain current Safety Data Sheets, properly label secondary containers, or train workers on newly introduced chemicals. The 2012 update to GHS-aligned labeling created a wave of citations for outdated labels.
#3: Ladders (1926.1053)
Category: Construction · Max penalty: $16,131 per serious violation
Covers safe ladder use in construction — load capacity, angle, extension above landing, and conditions requiring ladder use. Prohibits defective ladders and requires training.
Why is this cited so often?
Ladder falls are among the most common construction injuries. Workers use damaged ladders, set them at wrong angles, fail to extend them above roof edges, or carry materials while climbing.
#4: Scaffolding — General Requirements (1926.451)
Category: Construction · Max penalty: $16,131 per serious violation
Sets requirements for scaffold design, construction, and use — including platform width, guardrails, access, and load capacity. Requires competent person inspections.
Why is this cited so often?
Scaffold collapses and falls from scaffolds cause dozens of deaths annually. Common violations include missing guardrails, inadequate planking, and failure to have a competent person inspect scaffolding before each shift.
#5: Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
Category: General Industry · Max penalty: $16,131 per serious violation
Requires employers to establish a respiratory protection program with medical evaluations, fit testing, training, and proper selection of respirators when workers are exposed to airborne hazards.
Why is this cited so often?
Respiratory protection programs require multiple components — medical clearance, fit testing, and written procedures. Many employers provide respirators without the required medical evaluations or annual fit tests.
#6: Lockout/Tagout (Control of Hazardous Energy) (1910.147)
Category: General Industry · Max penalty: $16,131 per serious violation
Requires procedures to disable machinery during maintenance so it cannot be started, energized, or release stored energy. Covers locks, tags, training, and periodic inspections.
Why is this cited so often?
Failure to properly lock out equipment during maintenance causes approximately 120 deaths and 50,000 injuries per year. Common violations include missing written procedures, inadequate training, and failure to conduct periodic inspections of energy control procedures.
#7: Fall Protection — Training Requirements (1926.503)
Category: Construction · Max penalty: $16,131 per serious violation
Requires employers to train workers to recognize fall hazards and use fall protection systems. Training must be provided by a competent person and documented.
Why is this cited so often?
Even when fall protection equipment is available, workers often lack training on proper use. Employers frequently fail to document training or retrain workers when conditions change.
#8: Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts) (1910.178)
Category: General Industry · Max penalty: $16,131 per serious violation
Covers forklift operator training, certification, and safe operation. Requires evaluation every three years and retraining after accidents or near-misses.
Why is this cited so often?
Forklifts cause approximately 85 deaths and 34,900 serious injuries per year. Many employers allow untrained operators, skip the required three-year re-evaluation, or fail to maintain operator certification records.
#9: Electrical — Wiring Methods (1910.305)
Category: General Industry · Max penalty: $16,131 per serious violation
Requirements for electrical wiring installation, temporary wiring, and equipment grounding. Covers proper use of conduit, cables, junction boxes, and outlet connections.
Why is this cited so often?
Electrical hazards cause about 160 workplace deaths per year. Violations include exposed wiring, missing junction box covers, improper grounding, and use of flexible cords as permanent wiring.
#10: Machine Guarding — General Requirements (1910.212)
Category: General Industry · Max penalty: $16,131 per serious violation
Requires guards on machines where workers may contact moving parts — points of operation, power transmission, and other moving parts. Guards must prevent hands and fingers from entering danger zones.
Why is this cited so often?
Unguarded machines cause approximately 18,000 amputations, lacerations, and crushing injuries per year. Employers remove guards for convenience or fail to replace them after maintenance.
What This Means for Workers
If you work in construction, manufacturing, or warehousing, the hazards on this list are the ones most likely to injure or kill you. Before accepting a job offer, search your potential employer on OSHARecord to see their violation history. Companies with repeat citations for these standards have a documented pattern of putting workers at risk.
Check our repeat offender watchlist to see which companies have been cited for the same hazards multiple times, or browse the worst Safety Scores to find companies that perform poorly across all safety metrics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the OSHA top 10 most cited violations?
The OSHA top 10 most frequently cited standards are: (1) Fall Protection, (2) Hazard Communication, (3) Ladders, (4) Scaffolding, (5) Respiratory Protection, (6) Lockout/Tagout, (7) Fall Protection Training, (8) Powered Industrial Trucks, (9) Electrical Wiring Methods, and (10) Machine Guarding. This list has been remarkably consistent for over a decade, with fall protection ranking #1 every year.
How much can OSHA fine for a violation?
As of 2024, OSHA can fine up to $16,131 per serious violation and $161,323 per willful or repeat violation. These amounts are adjusted annually for inflation. In practice, penalties for serious violations average around $4,000-$5,000 after employer size, good faith, and history adjustments.
Has the OSHA top 10 list changed over the years?
The core list has been remarkably stable. Fall protection has been #1 for over a decade. Hazard communication and scaffolding have been in the top 5 consistently since the early 2000s. The main shift has been the rise of powered industrial truck (forklift) violations, reflecting the growth of warehousing and e-commerce fulfillment.
What is the most common cause of workplace death?
Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, the most-inspected industry. Across all industries, transportation incidents (vehicle crashes) are the #1 cause of workplace fatalities, followed by falls, contact with objects/equipment, and exposure to harmful substances according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
About This Data
The OSHA top 10 list is published annually at the National Safety Council Congress. Standard-level citation data is from OSHA's Enforcement Data (IMIS). Company-level data reflects all inspections in the OSHARecord database. Penalty maximums reflect 2024 adjusted rates per the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act. See our methodology.