Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently released its preliminary annual list of the top ten safety and health violations cited for fiscal year 2016. While not anticipated to change much, a more final list will be completed closer to the end of 2016.  In descending order, these are:

• Fall protection (Construction) – 1926.501 – violations are generally for failing to provide adequate fall protection to employees working at elevated heights.

• Hazard communication – 1910.1200 – violations are generally for lack of hazard communication program or inadequate training.

• Scaffolds (Construction) – 1926.451 – violations are generally for improper access to scaffolds and improper assembly, such a missing planking.

• Respiratory protection – 1910.134 – violations are generally for employees using respirators not being medically evaluated or properly fit tested.

• Lockout/tagout – 1910.147 – violations are generally for failing to have a machine specific LOTO procedure, not training authorized or affected employees and for failing to conduct periodic inspections of LOTO procedures.

• Powered industrial trucks – 1910.178 – violations are generally for failing to have forklift operators certified and unsafe use of a forklift.

• Ladders (Construction) – 1926.153– violations are generally for improper use of portable ladders and use of defective ladders.

• Machine guarding – 1910.212 – violations are generally for failing to have machines and equipment adequately guarded.

• Electrical wiring – 1910.305 – violation are generally for temporary wiring used in lieu of permanent wiring and inappropriate use of extension (flexible) cords.

• Electrical, general requirements – 1910.303 – violations are generally for failing to install electrical equipment properly or for having electrical panels blocked.

This list does not change significantly year-to-year. Over the past five years, the same violations have made the list with only slight variations in the order.  Although OSHA points out that this list is not an exhaustive list of the violations it sees, it believes that “[i]f all employers simply corrected the top 10 hazards, we are confident the number of deaths, amputations and hospitalizations would drastically decline.”