by Jonathan Poole
Safety Services Manager

OSHA recently announced its Top 10 Violations for 2022, and the most popular violations from 2021 remain on the list.

For the 12th year in a row, Fall Protection was #1 with HazCom, Ladders, Scaffolding, LOTO, PITs, PPE and Machine Guarding also representing safety standards that American industry continues to struggle to get right.  Respiratory protection violations, no doubt due to COVID-19, remained popular, landing at #3 on the list this year.  What does the consistency of the list suggest?  We know how to improve safety in America and too many companies refuse to commit the time and resources to making effective changes.

OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2022

1.  Fall protection general requirements for Construction
(29 CFR 1926.501)

2.  Hazard communication standard for General Industry
(29 CFR 1910.1200)

3.  Respiratory protection for General Industry
(29 CFR 1910.134)

4.  Ladders for Construction
(29 CFR 1926.1053)

5.  Scaffolding general requirements for Construction
(29 CFR 1926.451)

6.  Control of hazardous energy/Lockout-Tagout for General Industry
(29 CFR 1910.147) 

7.  Powered Industrial Trucks (PITs) for General Industry
(29 CFR 1910.178)

8.  Fall protection—Training Requirements
(29 CFR 1926.503)

9.  Personal Protective & Lifesaving Equipment—Eye and Face Protection (29 CFR 1926.102)

10. Machinery & machine guarding for General Industry
(29 CFR 1910.212)

OSHA’s Top 10 list routinely helps EHS professionals, particularly facility managers, target areas for safety improvements and review.  Where might you consider targeting training this year?  This list is a great place to start when reviewing safety policies and evaluating the efficacy of instructional programs. 

As noted in previous years, the reason the topics on this list persist year-to-year is that the majority of facilities in America believe that their EHS policies are sufficient and their safety programs are up-to-date.  Before an accident or injury proves otherwise,  consider contacting The EI Group.  Our safety professionals offer decades of experience addressing all OSHA standards and understand how to improve your program via mock OSHA audits, program assessments and wide-ranging training topics committed to protecting your workers.  EI addresses each of these ten common safety topics as well as unique challenges associated with industrial hygiene, environmental issues and occupational health.  

How Can We Help?
If you have questions about any of OSHA’s Top 10 Violations and what we can do to address specific concerns at your facility, please contact Jonathan Poole, EI’s Safety Services Manager, at (919) 459-5252 or jpoole@ei1.com.