OSHA’s preliminary list of top workplace safety violations for FY 2017, which ended September 30, bears a striking resemblance to the 2016 list and the 2015 list. In other words, workplace safety violations are predictable and thoughtful companies can use the information to keep their workforce safe and build a culture of safety. With more than 4,500 workers killed and three million injured on the job each year, workplace safety continues to be a critical concern.
Patrick Kapust, the deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, shared the top 10 list at the 2017 National Safety Council Congress & Expo. “One thing I’ve said before in the past on this is, this list doesn’t change too much from year to year. These things are readily fixable,” said Kapust. “I encourage folks to use this list and look at your own workplace.”
The preliminary list of top workplace violations:
- Fall Protection — General Requirements; 6,072 violations
- Hazard Communication: 4,176
- Scaffolding: 3,288
- Respiratory Protection: 3,097
- Lockout/Tagout: 2,877
- Ladders: 2,241
- Powered Industrial Trucks: 2,162
- Machine Guarding: 1,933
- Fall Protection – Training Requirements: 1,523
- Electrical — Wiring Methods: 1,405
The newcomer to the 2017 list is Fall Protection — Training Requirements. The top five violations are identical to the 2016 list.
The Workforce HR Compliance Cloud Learning Management has more than 150 safety training courses that cover top workplace safety concerns, including those on the OSHA top 10 list. Workforce clients can access these courses by signing in to their account and selecting the safety catalog in Learn.
