OSHA Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards

OSHA Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards

According to OSHA

Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards

for Fiscal 2013 (Oct. 1, 2012 to Sept. 30, 2013)

The following is a list of the top 10 most frequently cited standards* following inspections of worksites by federal OSHA. OSHA publishes this list to alert employers about these commonly cited standards so they can take steps to find and fix recognized hazards addressed in these and other standards before OSHA shows up. Far too many preventable injuries and illnesses occur in the workplace.

1. 1926.501 - Fall Protection
2. 1910.1200 - Hazard Communication
3. 1926.451 - Scaffolding
4. 1910.134 - Respiratory Protection
5. 1910.305 - Electrical, Wiring Methods
6. 1910.178 - Powered Industrial Trucks
7. 1926.1053 - Ladders
8. 1910.147 - Lockout/Tagout
9. 1910.303 - Electrical, General Requirements
10. 1910.212 - Machine Guarding

*As of 10/25/13

OSHA's 2013 TOP TEN
Most Frequently Cited Violations

1. Fall protection (C)
2. Hazard communication
3. Scaffolding (C)
4. Respiratory protection
5. Electrical: wiring

C = Construction standard

6. Powered industrial trucks
7. Ladders (C)
8. Lockout/tagout
9. Electrical: systems design
10. Machine guarding

 

 

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OSHA News, Document Release: Methods to help prevent injuries, deaths among residential construction workers.

OSHA News, Document Release: Methods to help prevent injuries, deaths among residential construction workers.
April 08, 2011

Source: http://www.osha.gov/

WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued guidance on Fall Protection in Residential Construction* to help employers prevent fall-related injuries and deaths among residential construction workers. Data shows that falls are the leading cause of death for workers involved in residential construction.

OSHA issued the Compliance Guidance for Residential Construction in December 2010 to require that residential construction employers provide workers with fall protection according to OSHA's Fall Protection in Construction standard. This new document demonstrates work methods employers may use to comply with the standard's requirements.

Directed primarily to those working on new construction, the document describes safety methods employers can implement during stages of construction. Methods for preventing fall-related injuries and deaths include using anchors for personal fall arrest systems and fall restraints, safety net systems, guardrails, ladders, and scaffolds for activities such as installing roof sheathing, weatherproofing a roof, and installing walls and subfloors, among others.

"Fatalities from falls are the number one cause of workplace deaths in construction," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "We cannot tolerate workers getting killed in residential construction when effective means are readily available to prevent those deaths."

OSHA's Residential Fall Protection Web page includes a fact sheet, and questions and answers about requirements for protecting workers from fall hazards. Additionally, the Safety and Health Topics Web page on Fall Protection – Construction provides a list of references to help employers identify fall hazards and possible solutions for eliminating such hazards. OSHA is continuing to develop additional resources to help employers protect residential workers' safety and health.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/.

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2 ironworkers killed in NYC construction site fall

2 ironworkers killed in NYC construction site fall

NEW YORK — Two mid-Hudson Valley ironworkers died after they fell 65 feet from a fifth floor through an open elevator shaft at a church construction site where they were installing steel, authorities said.

Brett McEnroe, 49, of Dover Plains, and Roy Powell, 51, of New Paltz, were working on a planned expansion of the Redeemer Presbyterian Church on Manhattan's Upper West Side Tuesday morning as members of a four-person crew, authorities said.

McEnroe, a married father of two, died at Roosevelt Hospital. Powell, who was married and had a son, died at St. Luke's Hospital, according to a report in the New York Daily News.

Powell was a member of Ironworkers Local 40 in Manhattan; McEnroe was a member of Local 417 in Newburgh, according to Bob Walsh, business manager for Local 40.

The city's buildings commissioner, Robert LiMandri, said it appeared the workers did not have proper fall protection, including harnesses, safety netting or a support platform. The church expansion began in 2009, with no mishaps reported until now.

He called the deaths "a tragic reminder" of the need to observe safety measures in the construction industry, and said the city would be investigating why the men were not equipped properly.

The commissioner issued a stop-work order for the building on West 83rd Street.

The workers were pronounced dead at hospitals after a 911 call at about 10:30 a.m.

Redeemer Presbyterian Church did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment.

Four construction workers fell to their deaths in New York City last year.


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OSHA Fines Company $54,000 for Hazards at Tewksbury Site

 

Inspector drove past job site on his way to work and happened to see violations.

February 5, 2011

 

(Editor's note: The following information was submitted by The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.)

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Georgoulis Construction Inc. for alleged willful and serious violations of safety standards for fall hazards at a Tewksbury worksite. The Dracut roofing contractor faces a total of $53,900 in proposed fines.

The citations and penalties stem from an OSHA inspection opened Nov. 10, 2010. An OSHA inspector en route to his office observed employees exposed to apparent fall hazards while driving by 279 Chandler St.  An inspection was opened on the spot. OSHA found Georgoulis employees exposed to falls while working atop a roof greater than 6 feet without any fall protection. They were exposed to an additional fall hazard while accessing the roof by using a ladder that did not extend at least 3 feet above the landing surface for required stability.

“The size of this penalty reflects the gravity of the hazard and the employer’s knowledge of its existence,” said Jeffery A. Erskine, OSHA’s area director for Middlesex and Essex counties. “A fall can occur in seconds but the resulting injuries can be permanent or end a life. There’s no reason for failing to provide this essential and legally required safeguard for workers.”

As a result of its inspection, OSHA has issued Georgoulis Construction one willful citation with a $49,000 fine for the lack of fall protection and one serious citation with a fine of $4,900 for the ladder hazard. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health. OSHA issues a serious citation when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Detailed information for workers and employers on construction fall hazards and safeguards is available online at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/construction.html.

Georgoulis Construction Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with the OSHA area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. This latest inspection was conducted by OSHA’s Andover Area Office; telephone 978- 837-4460. To report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call the agency’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to assure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/.   

 

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Illinois Roofing Firm Fined $102,000 for Fall Protection Hazards

Illinois Roofing Firm Fined $102,000 for Fall Protection Hazards

The company's willful and repeat safety violations put McEntire's Roofing in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

• Feb 02, 2011

OSHA has issued McEntire's Roofing Inc. of Lincoln, Ill., six citations for failing to provide fall protection for roofers working on residential projects. The company faces penalties totaling $102,000.
The citations are the result of two OSHA investigations, conducted under the agency's Local Emphasis Program on Fall Hazards, which took place in July and September 2010 at jobsites in Bloomington and Lincoln, Ill. Two willful citations carrying $56,000 in penalties were issued after inspectors observed roofers being allowed to operate without fall protection at two-story residential projects. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
"Falls are a leading cause of injury and death in the workplace," said Thomas Bielema, OSHA's area director in Peoria, Ill. "McEntire's Roofing repeatedly has been cited for not providing adequate fall protection and that is unacceptable. OSHA is committed to ensuring employers abide by the law, which requires commonsense safety practices."
OSHA issued McEntire's Roofing two repeat citations with proposed fines of $42,000 for allegedly not having a grasping handle and/or a ladder extended 3 feet or more above the roofline for workers to access in order to prevent falls. A repeat citation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.
Two serious citations were issued to the company alleging that a damaged ladder was used to access an upper roof area and for failing to have a ladder inspected by a competent person. Those violations carry total penalties of $4,000. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
OSHA standards require that an effective form of fall protection, such as guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems, be in use when workers perform residential construction activities 6 feet or more above the next lower level. Detailed information on fall protection hazards and safeguards is available online at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/index.html.
The company's willful and repeat safety violations put McEntire's Roofing in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which focuses on employers with a history of safety violations that endanger workers by demonstrating indifference to their responsibilities under the law. This enforcement tool includes mandatory OSHA follow-up inspections and inspections of other worksites of the same employer where similar hazards and deficiencies may be present. For more information on SVEP, visit http://www.osha.gov/dep/svep-directive.pdf*.
Prior to the two inspections detailed above, McEntire's Roofing had been inspected by OSHA six times since 2005, resulting in 15 prior citations.


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OSHA cites roofing company following fatality at El Paso, Texas, worksite

OSHA cites roofing company following fatality at El Paso, Texas, worksite
OSHA Press Release, January 25, 2011

US Department of Labor's OSHA cites roofing company
following fatality at El Paso, Texas, worksite
Third El Paso roofing incident cited by OSHA within a year

EL PASO, Texas – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Spray Polyurethane Foam with five alleged serious and one other-than-serious violation for failing to provide fall protection resulting from an investigation into a fatality at the company's worksite in El Paso.

OSHA's El Paso Area Office initiated the investigation on Aug. 25, 2010, following a report that an employee fell almost 30 feet through the roof and died at the company's worksite at 9600 Plaza Circle. The investigation found that the roof of the facility did not have the required strength and structural integrity for repair work to be performed.

The serious violations include failing to determine if the roof had sufficient structural integrity for making roof repairs, provide employees with fall protection systems and/or personal fall arrest systems, and provide training for employees exposed to possible fall hazards. A serious violation is one in which there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

An other-than-serious violation was issued for failing to contact OSHA within eight hours to report the fatality. An other-than-serious violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

Proposed penalties for the serious and other-than-serious violations total $8,700.

In October 2010, an employee of another company in El Paso, Empire Roofing, fell through a skylight while making roof repairs. In May 2010, a worker employed by Parsons Roofing in El Paso fell through a roof while repairing roof decking that was rotted and had not been inspected for strength and structural integrity. In both incidents, employees sustained severe injuries while performing roofing repair work.

"Falls are one of the most common and well-known hazards at a worksite, and can injure or kill a worker in a matter of seconds," said Jack Rector, OSHA's area director in El Paso. "OSHA is dedicated to providing a safe and healthful workplace. All three incidents could have been avoided had the employees been provided with fall protection and training."

Detailed information about fall hazards and safeguards is available on OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/construction.html.

Spray Polyurethane Foam has 15 business days from receipt of citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in El Paso or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Employers and employees with questions about workplace safety and health standards can call OSHA's El Paso Area Office at 915-534-6151 or the agency's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) to report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/.

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OSHA Blasts Demolition Contractor for Lead, Fall Hazards

OSHA Blasts Demolition Contractor for Lead, Fall Hazards

The company was issued two willful citations with $42,000 in fines and seven serious citations with $10,500 in fines.

• Jan 20, 2011

OSHA has cited MJ Scoville Inc., a Binghamton, N.Y., demolition contractor, for nine willful and serious violations of workplace safety and health standards at a building renovation site. The contractor faces a total of $52,500 in proposed fines, chiefly for fall and lead hazards.
OSHA's inspection found Scoville employees exposed to falls of up to 40 feet while working without fall protection as they took down the walls of a fourth floor elevator shaft as well as 14-foot falls from an unguarded scaffold. The employer also failed to conduct personal air monitoring to determine lead exposure levels for employees performing demolition work with materials known to be covered with lead paint, and did not implement interim protective measures including respiratory protection, biological monitoring, medical surveillance, clean change areas, and employee training on lead hazards.
"These are two of the most common and well-known hazards workers can face during demolition operations and must be effectively addressed by the employer on each and every jobsite," said Christopher Adams, OSHA's area director in Syracuse. "Falls can injure or kill a worker in seconds while lead exposure can damage the kidneys and the central nervous, cardiovascular, reproductive, and hematological systems."
The company was issued two willful citations with $42,000 in fines and seven serious citations with $10,500 in fines. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Detailed information on these and other hazards associated with demolition work, as well as solutions and safeguards, is available online at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/constructiondemolition/index.html.

OSHA Piles Up Fall Protection Citations

Several enforcement actions been filed this month, including one against a Houston contractor in connection with a job site in Hamburg, Pa.

• Dec 26, 2010

OSHA recently filed file serious citations and one repeat citation against Destin Drywall and Paint Inc. of Houston, Texas, mainly for fall hazards. The citations concern a job installing wallboard to the exterior of a Wal-Mart store in Hamburg, Pa. Proposed penalties were $20,100.
"Destin Drywall has a recent history of not providing proper fall protection to employees at its job sites," said Kevin Kilp, OSHA's area director in Harrisburg, Pa., whose office conducted the inspection. "This protection is critical given that falls are the leading cause of injuries and fatalities in the construction industry." According to OSHA, the company recently was issued smaller penalties in connection with alleged fall protection violations at Wal-Mart sites in Benbrook, Texas, and North East, Md.
The citations allege Destin did not provide fall protection for employees working on aerial lifts, train employees on fall protection requirements, or require PPE. The repeat citation alleges the company permitted employees to work on a surface more than 6 feet above the ground without an approved method of fall protection.
For information on OSHA’s fall protection standards, visit http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/index.html.