Most Common OSHA Violations in 2020

OSHA recently released its preliminary list of the 10 most common OSHA violations occurring in 2020.  Although the list is comprised of the usual suspects, safety is so important that it’s always a good idea to remind ourselves of what constitutes a violation and how it could have been prevented.

What Were the Top OSHA Violations in 2020?

The list encompasses the same exact violations as 2019, but in a different order of magnitude.  This is partially due to the natural fluctuation that can occur from year-to-year, as well as the unique impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

So without further ado, here is the full top-10 list:

1. Inadequate fall protection: Unlike some other OSHA violations on this list, fall protection was #1 in 2019 as well. In fact, it’s been the #1 violation for a whopping 10 years in a row!  If you’re a lineman, take heed.
2. Inadequate hazard communication: In other words, not following proper OSHA-mandated communication protocols during dangerous situations. This violation was also #2 in 2019.
3. Lack of proper respiratory protection: This violation is up from #5 in 2019, likely due to issues associated with the pandemic.
4. Improper usage of scaffolding: This position is an improvement from 2019, when this violation ranked #3.
5. Ladder violations: Up from #6 in 2019.
6. Improper lockout/tagout procedures: This OSHA violation represents another improvement, as it was ranked #4 in 2019.
7. Powered truck violations: Same position as 2019.
8. Fall protection training requirements: This also made the list in 2019 at #8 and is likely why fall protection consistently ranks as the most commonly-cited violation year after year.
9. Lack of proper personal protective equipment (PPE): This is up from #10 in 2019 and primarily focuses on eyewear and face protection.
10. Machine guarding: Down from #9 in 2019.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, this is certainly not an Earth-shattering list as it’s basically the same list of OSHA violations that occur most frequently year after year.  But again, emergency response is a dangerous game, and therefore the more we can remind ourselves of what constitutes proper safety procedures, the better off we will all be.