THE 7 MOST COMMON OSHA VIOLATIONS
Never take the safety of your employees for granted. Here are the most common, and most dangerous, OSHA job site complaints you should look out for.
Over 5,000 employees die on the job every year in the United States, which averages out to 99 workers per week or 14 per day. Of these fatalities, over 4,500 occur in the private sector, and 20% of those incidents happening in the construction industry.
There are currently about 2,100 compliance officers working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and their job is to keep 130 million workers in the country safe. As an employer, you must be aware of the most common OSHA standards violations because keeping your job site compliant will also help keep your workers safe.
Here are the top seven issues that OSHA compliance officers encounter.
1. Inadequate fall protection
The most common OSHA compliance violation every year is a lack of fall protection.
Standard number 1926.501 states that all employers must provide a fall protection system that conforms to the criteria developed by the OSHA. Items that might be necessary, according to the criteria, include guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest systems, in addition to structurally sound working environments and walkways.
Unfortunately, many employers don’t follow these rules. And of the nearly 1,000 annual deaths on construction sites in the United States, almost 40% are the result of falls.
2. Failed hazard communication
According to standard 1910.1200, if there is hazardous material on the job site, it must be classified and labeled, while providing all employees with training and safety data sheets. OSHA wants all chemicals that could cause bodily or environmental harm handled with the utmost care. In addition, everyone who will be in contact with them should be aware of their presence.
Unfortunately, many employers take shortcuts and transport or use these chemicals without proper notifications or safety procedures in place.
3. Not following the scaffolding general requirements
When using a scaffold on the job site, the requirements of standard 1926.451 are essential for the safety of your workers. This section puts limits on scaffold capacity, outlines their construction, explains their necessary supports, and goes over the use of suspended scaffolding to create a safer work environment.
Since employees are working at heights on scaffolding, there are also requirements to prevent falls and objects falling from these devices.
4. Failure to provide respiratory protection
Occupational diseases caused by breathing in fumes, gases, smoke, sprays, vapors, and dust are serious worksite dangers. These illnesses are complicated because, unlike a fall, there may not be immediate consequences as symptoms deliver over time.
Standard number 1910.134 states that employers must account for toxins in the air at the job site by providing ventilation, moving operations away from confined spaces, or using less-toxic materials. When these precautions aren’t possible, air-purifying respirators, atmosphere-supplying respirators, or HEPA filter masks should be provided, depending on the toxins present.
The employer should also provide medical evaluations for employees who are required to use a respirator and put the proper usage procedures in place.
5. Uncontrolled hazardous energy — no lockout
Standard 1910.147 covers situations where a piece of mechanical equipment starts to move while a worker is conducting maintenance on it. This movement could be the result of the machine accidentally turning on or stored energy causing mechanical elements to move during the maintenance routine.
All such machinery must have a lockout device preventing this energy from creating a hazard. For example, if an employee must climb inside a piece of equipment to perform maintenance, he or she will apply a lockout device to make it impossible for another worker to start the machine until the device is removed.
6. Improper use of ladders
Compliance issues with ladders go hand-in-hand with the fall prevention section, but standard 1926.1053 goes into more depth about how to use these devices. OSHA limits the loads that ladders can carry, specifies how far apart the rungs can be, goes over the required width of the rungs, and defines the surfaces on which you can use a ladder.
Also, when a ladder is not up to code, it must be marked with a sign showing that it is defective or blocked from use with an attachment until it is repaired.
Many employers don’t follow these rules, however, and continue to let employees use ladders in incorrect ways or after the device has been damaged, which is why they are number six on this list.
7. Powered industrial trucks without approval
Tractors, motorized hand trucks, forklifts, platform lift trucks, and other specialty gas or electric industrial vehicles on the job site must have the right approvals, according to standard 1910.178. In this case, the equipment must meet design and construction standards identified by the American National Standard for Powered Industrial Trucks.
Specific safety requirements in the design, maintenance, and fire protection of such vehicles are inspected by OSHA agents when they visit job sites. Approved trucks are supposed to have a label or other visible mark to show that they are adequate for use in that environment.
Make sure you stay compliant
No matter what type of job site you’re running, staying compliant with the recommendations of OSHA can keep your workers safe. You can also avoid hefty fines, as non-compliance will cost you $13,260 per violation — $132,598 if your non-compliance is willful or repeated. If you’re unsure about compliance on the job site, StaffLink Outsourcing’s risk management services can help. We’ll look at your current workplace and come up with safety recommendations to prevent problems in the future. Give us a call at 954.423.8262 for more information, or follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn to stay in touch.
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