Complying with OSHA standards is a critical part of keeping your workers safe. But, the most current OSHA top 10 list of safety violations shows us that improvements still need to be made in most areas, including choosing the correct PPE.
Ensure safety doesn’t take a back seat this year by noting where others fall short.
Below you’ll find a graphic representation of OSHA’s top 10 list of standard violations, links to resources that will help you identify the worksite hazards involved, and the types of PPE you should consider for each standard.
OSHA’s Top Ten List
The list of the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA violations for 2022 were the following:
1. Fall Protection – General (5,260 violations)
2. Hazard Communication (2,424 violations)
3. Respiratory Protection (2,185 violations)
4. Ladders (2,143 violations)
5. Scaffolding (2,058 violations)
6. Lockout/Tagout (1,977 violations)
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1,749 violations)
8. Fall Protection – Training (1,556 violations)
9. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment — Eye and Face Protection (1,401 violations)
10. Machine Guarding (1,401 violations)
Resources to Identify Worksite Hazards
Identifying worksite risks is the first step to protecting your employees. The good news is that there are many resources you can use to help. Finding a local or online safety professional for guidance is a great way to get started.
Search for your local American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) chapter. They can help you find a safety professional near you.
You can also look into readily available safety management programs. OSHA suggests reviewing online resources to get more of the information you need to put a plan in place.
- Industry-Specific Resources
- Hazard Identification Training Tool
- Safety and Health Topics pages on specific industries and hazards
- eTools – illustrated training tools on various industries and hazards
- OSHA Publications and Fact Sheets on PPE
PPE Types that Match the Hazards
OSHA requires companies to pay for and ensure workers have the necessary PPE for their jobs. Providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to your workers is an integral part of your safety program and will help avoid costly fines from the top 10 standard violations and others.
Worksite PPE should include products that complement the safety controls you have put in place. Involving workers in selecting the appropriate PPE ensures buy-in from your team and means they’re more likely to comply with their use.
PPE categories can be grouped by protection type. Starting from the head and working your way down means you’ll get the head-to-toe protection your workers need.
Protection from Head Injuries
Hard hats can protect your workers from head impact, penetration injuries, and electrical injuries such as those caused by falling or flying objects, fixed objects, or contact with electrical conductors.
Top 10 violations to consider
Protection from Eye and Face Injuries
Besides spectacles and goggles, personal protective equipment such as special helmets or shields, spectacles with side shields, and face shields can protect workers from the hazards of flying fragments, large chips, hot sparks, etc.
Top 10 violations to consider
Protection from Hearing Loss
Wearing earplugs or earmuffs can help prevent damage to hearing. Exposure to high noise
levels can cause irreversible hearing loss or impairment as well as physical and psychological stress.
Top 10 violations to consider
Protection from Hand Injuries
Workers exposed to harmful substances through skin absorption, severe cuts or lacerations,
severe abrasions, chemical burns, thermal burns, and harmful temperature extremes will benefit from hand protection.
Top 10 violations to consider
Protection from Body Injury
In some cases, workers must shield most or all of their bodies against hazards in the workplace, such as exposure to heat and radiation as well as hot metals, scalding liquids, body fluids, hazardous materials, or waste, and other hazards.
Top 10 violations to consider
Respiratory Protection
When engineering controls are not feasible, workers must use appropriate respirators to protect against adverse health effects caused by breathing air contaminated with harmful dust, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smoke, sprays, or vapors.
Top 10 violations to consider
Protection from Foot Injuries
Foot guards, safety shoes, and boots can help prevent injuries by protecting workers from hazards such as falling or rolling objects, sharp objects, wet and slippery surfaces, molten metals, hot surfaces, and electrical hazards.
Top 10 violations to consider
A Safe Workplace is Your Responsibility
Along with offering and training workers on the required PPE, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as an employer, you are responsible for providing a safe workplace.
OSHA provides a Compliance Assistance Quick Start to generate an initial set of compliance assistance materials tailored to your workplace along with information on:
- Key employer responsibilities
- Workers’ rights
- OSHA rules/regulations, enforcement, and inspections (video)
Find the Best Protective Equipment for Your Worksite
Even a cursory look at OSHA’s top 10 list shows selecting the right PPE is an essential part of protecting your workers.
We can help. Consulting with a Liberty PPE Sales Specialist is a great way to hear about what’s currently popular and get the latest on new products you may want to consider. We even have a product sample program you can tap into so you know you’re getting the PPE products you and your team need. Contact us today to learn more.
