Top Safety Violations of 2020!

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 5,333 workers died of on-the-job injuries in 2019. In addition, the BLS's?2019 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries ?found that deaths in the private construction industry increased by 5 percent from the year before — the highest number of annual fatalities since 2007.

OSHA recently unveiled its list of the?top 10 OSHA violations of fiscal year 2020 , which provides additional insight into common safety violations that can cause injuries and deaths in construction and general industry jobs.

The most frequently cited OSHA standard violations in FY 2020 were:

1. Fall Protection (5,424 violations)
2. Hazard Communication (3,199 violations)
3. Respiratory Protection (2,649 violations)
4. Scaffolding (2,538 violations)
5. Ladders (2,129 violations)
6. Control of Hazardous Energy (2,065 violations)
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1,932 violations)
8. Fall Protection Training (1,621 violations)
9. Eye and Face Protection (1,369 violations)
10. Machinery and Machine Guarding (1,313 violations)

These statistics from BLS and OSHA should encourage all workers and employers to invest in high-quality workplace safety training. One of the most effective ways to prevent on-the-job injuries is to ensure that all workers complete training.

The top 10 safety violations of 2020 are evenly split between construction and general industry violations. The most frequently cited OSHA violations have historically remained the same each year, with changes to their relative positions being more common than drastic changes to the violations on the list.

Read on for a breakdown of the top 10 Safety violations of 2020 and some practical safety tips workers should follow to avoid violations.

1. Fall Protection

Fall Protection was the most commonly cited OSHA violation of 2020 — and it's been the No. 1 violation for the past 10 years. A lack of fall protection and proper training contributes to dangerous falls, the leading cause of death in the construction industry.

2. Hazard Communication

Companies that use or store hazardous chemicals are required to effectively communicate the health and safety risks of those chemicals to workers. To avoid injuries related to hazard communication errors, all chemicals should be labeled with clear signage, along with instructions on how to respond in the event of an emergency.

3. Respiratory Protection

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of employers were cited for failing to implement respiratory protection programs or provide appropriate PPE for workers. As a result, respiratory protection violations landed among the top 3 OSHA violations for 2020. In 2019, respiratory protection ranked No. 5 on OSHA's list of top violations.

4. Scaffolding

When construction employers fail to implement correct procedures for the design, installation and loading of scaffolding, they risk receiving an OSHA citation. These failures endanger those working at a height and could lead to struck-by falling object injuries.

5. Ladders

OSHA'S Ladders standard highlights numerous ways to stay safe when using a ladder and remain OSHA compliant. This includes not exceeding the ladder's maximum intended load, keeping areas around the top and bottom of the ladder clear and not using ladders on slippery surfaces without proper safeguards.

6. Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)

Electrocution is a Focus Four Hazard, OSHA's term for the top four hazards in construction.?OSHA reports ?that about 9 percent of construction worker deaths are caused by electrocution. These incidents often result from a failure to control hazardous energy during equipment maintenance and servicing.

7. Powered Industrial Trucks

Examples of powered industrial trucks include forklifts, tractors and platform lift trucks. These vehicles should only be used for their designed purpose and must be maintained regularly.

Workers should be trained on proper safety procedures when operating powered industrial trucks. Important topics include hazard recognition and cellphone prohibition during use.

8. Fall Protection Training

While lack of fall protection is the most common OSHA violation of 2020, fall protection training fell short as well. Employers are responsible for ensuring that workers know when fall protection is required, how to use it properly and how to inspect equipment to confirm it is safe and in compliance.

All employees who may be exposed to fall hazards on the job are required to undergo training. This training should prepare workers to recognize and reduce fall hazards. It should also cover procedures for erecting, maintaining, disassembling and inspecting fall protection systems.

9. Eye and Face Protection

Employers are required to provide appropriate PPE that protects workers from eye and face injuries. Protective equipment may include guards and controls on machines, welding curtains, goggles and face shields. Employers should also provide an accessible eyewash station and training on how to use it.

10.Machinery and Machine Guarding

Employees should be trained to use hazardous machines properly. They should understand a machine's points of operation, exercise caution around any rotating or moving parts and use PPE and machine guarding to protect themselves from hazards while operating machinery.

Building a Safety Culture

Remember, everyone has a role to play in safety:

• Employers?– know the rules and provide employees with the proper training
• Employees?– hold themselves accountable to know and obey the rules
• Supervisors?– hold employees accountable, but without babysitting the crew

STARTING POINTS FOR BETTER WORKPLACE SAFETY

And, as the top violations show, it pays to focus on some key areas when developing or expanding your safety program:

Accident Prevention Program?– a “living” document that’s updated as your company grows and the type of work changes.

Safety meetings?– held as required for your industry, with topics and attendees documented.

Safety training?– offered?before?employees are exposed to new tools or hazards, then updated as necessary.

Enforcement?– work with employees to get buy-in, so they understand violations will result in discipline and documentation.

If you liked this article or have any comments, you can tag me and I will be very happy to talk about it.

Stay safe!

JVP.

Burdick, G. (2021, March 9). OSHA Reveals Top 10 Most Cited Violations for FY 2020. Retrieved from?https://ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/2021/03/osha-reveals-the-top-10-most-cited-violations-for-fy-2020/

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020, December 16). National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2019. Retrieved from?https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, November). Prevent Construction Falls from Roofs, Ladders, and Scaffolds. Retrieved from?https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2019-128/pdfs/2019-128Revised112019.pdf?id=10.26616/NIOSHPUB2019128revised112019

OSHA. (2021). Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards. Retrieved from?https://www.osha.gov/top10citedstandards