Workplace accidents are normally due to a failure to follow standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Every fiscal year, OSHA publishes a list of the Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards to educate employers as to the commonly cited standards so they can “take steps to find and fix recognized hazards addressed in these and other standards before OSHA shows up.” In fact, most of the workplace injuries and illnesses can be prevented by correctly following the standards set by OSHA.
In fiscal year 2020, the Top 10 violations in this list remained largely unchanged from fiscal year 2019. The most cited violation, “Fall Protection – General Requirements” tops this year’s list for the tenth consecutive year with 5,424 violations, signaling a drop of 586 violations from the 2019 report. However, Ladders claimed a top-five spot with 2,129 violations and Respiratory Protection took third place with 2,649 violations.
The Top 10 list of most cited violations is as follows:
- Fall Protection – General Requirements: 5,424 violations
- Hazard Communication: 3,199
- Respiratory Protection: 2,649
- Scaffolding: 2,538
- Ladders: 2,129
- Lockout/Tagout: 2,065
- Powered Industrial Trucks: 1,932
- Fall Protection – Training Requirements: 1,621
- Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection: 1,369
- Machine Guarding: 1,313
The National Safety Council’s President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin stated “In a year that was defined by the ongoing pandemic, workplace safety became more important than ever… The OSHA Top 10 list reminds us why we must continue to focus on persistent safety risks as we navigate new challenges. This data helps us pinpoint areas where we can improve so we can better prioritize workplace safety in the future world of work.”
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a workplace accident, call the law firm of Abraham Watkins today. It is imperative that you find a law firm to manage your claim as soon as possible following an injury or death of a family member. Further, it is important to find a skilled law firm with experience handling these cases to ensure that the responsible parties are held fully accountable.
The law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz, & Stogner is the longest standing personal injury firm in Texas, and our attorneys are standing by to assist with your claim. Call us today at 713-742-6002 or 1-888-261-8831 for your free consultation.