A "Top Ten" List You DON'T Want to Be On!
Inclusion on a “Top Ten” list is often cause for celebration. These compilations typically cite the biggest of something, the fastest growing or – hold your breath – the best performing. Some sharing and chest-pounding are in order.
If you’re on a list recently published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) … well, chances are you’d like to forget about it.
OSHA named its 10 most-cited categories of violations for 2024, a list that represents millions of dollars in fines, and untold hours in negotiations and remediation. Four of the 10 categories directly involve falls, or the potential for falls – a slam-dunk case to ensure your infrastructure is sturdy, safe and designed to code!
OSHA also announced maximum penalties for violations. The fines increased nearly 2.6 percent from 2024 to 2025.
“Serious” and “other than serious” violations can incur fines up to $16,500 each. “Willful or repeated” violations can set back organizations as much as $165,514 each!
If an OSHA inspector shows up at your door, what are they interested in? The top OSHA violations of 2024 offer strong hints:
1. Fall Protection (6,307 violations): Safety barriers and guarding to prevent falls
2. Hazard Communication (2,888 violations): Labeling and warnings related to hazardous chemicals
3. Ladders (2,573 violations): Allowable ladder types and related use procedures
4. Respiratory Protection (2,470 violations): Selection of breathing protection equipment and related use procedures
5. Lockout/Tagout (2,443 violations): Control of hazardous energy in machines and equipment
6. Powered Industrial Trucks (2,248 violations): Operation of forklifts and related user training
7. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (2,050 violations) Training guidelines to prevent falls
8. Scaffolding (1,873 violations): Scaffolding design and related safety standards
9. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1,814 violations): Personal protective equipment for workers exposed to eye or face hazards
10. Machine Guarding (1,541 violations): Guarding of machinery to protect against hazards such as sparks or rotating parts
How can you avoid becoming one of OSHA’s unwelcome statistics? Upgrade your safety infrastructure, and/or add even more hazard-reducing elements to your operations.
Milwaukee welding and fabrication shop 3Up Metal Works always designs infrastructure with OSHA compliance in mind. Our broad range of products – railings, ladders, guarding, platforms, machine barriers and more – are fabricated with safety as top priority.
Don’t wait until OSHA comes calling. Our Milwaukee welders and metal fabricators can prevent problems, before they become problems! Contact us to start the conversation. Investing in safety can save you dollars, and always makes sense!