Fall protection most cited OSHA violation in fiscal 2020

Insufficient fall protection remained the most frequently cited workplace safety violation in fiscal year 2020, according to research released Monday by the National Safety Council.

The Itasca, Illinois-based council released its top 10 most common Occupational Safety and Health Administration violations, with fall protection topping the list for the 10th consecutive year, followed by hazard communication and respiratory protection.

While hazard communication was also the No. 2 most cited OSHA violation in fiscal year 2019, respiratory protection moved up two spots from No. 5, possibly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is the full top 10 list of OSHA violations for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2020:

1. Fall protection — general requirements: 5,424 violations
2. Hazard communication: 3,199 violations
3. Respiratory protection: 2,649 violations
4. Scaffolding: 2,538 violations
5. Ladders: 2,129 violations
6. Lockout/tagout: 2,065 violations
7. Powered industrial trucks: 1,932 violations
8. Fall protection — training requirements: 1,621 violations
9. Personal protective and lifesaving equipment — eye and face protection: 1,369 violations
10. Machine guarding: 1,313 violations.