Posted by Sam on 9/4/2020 to Safety Tips

Labor Day is the celebration of the social and economic achievements of the American workers, a yearly national tribute to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country that is all thanks to the efforts of the American workforce. To support that workforce, keeping a safe and secure workplace is also essential in promoting the economy as a whole. From gigantic warehouses to in-home offices there are all kinds of risks and hazards that are encountered every day.

Since the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1971 the United States Department of Labor and OSH law has required that employers are responsible for providing a safe workplace. These requirements depend on the job type and work environment, adapting to different standards across the board, and even differences related to which state you live in.

List of the most cited OSHA violations
(2018-2019)

1. Fall protection, construction
Ensures the workplace has the proper equipment in place to prevent unnecessary injury or harm in a construction environment.

2. Hazard Communication Standard, general industry
Proper labeling of all hazardous chemicals should be classified and any risks that come with handling such chemicals be clearly labeled for employers and employees.

3. Scaffolding, general requirements, construction
Ensures scaffolding in construction is secure and able to withstand more than the stress of the current workload in attempt to eliminate the risk of collapse.

4. Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), general industry
Covers the risk of a person being harmed by an electrical burst, making sure employees are able to work within a safe distance of equipment.

5. Respiratory protection, general industry
Making sure the employees have the appropriate respiratory protection affiliated with their position of work.

6. Ladders, construction
Ladders should be able to support more than the required project load amount without risk of collapse.

7. Powered industrial trucks, general industry
Industrial trucks such as forklifts and hand trucks must meet the design and construction requirements of the American National Standard for Powered Trucks.

8. Fall protection, training requirements
Employers must provide a training program for all employees that may be exposed to fall hazards.

9. Machinery and machine guarding, general requirements
A guard or a shield should be provided to prevent operators and/or other employees from harm by the mechanical parts of the machine.

10. Eye and face protection
Requires employers to provide face and eye protection where there are risks of injury from flying objects.