Examine the Top Ten Most-Cited Violations by OSHA to better comprehend the standards associated with the violations. First, read this article in the Safety + Health online magazine from Kevin Druley titled OSHA’s Top 10 most cited violations for 2019. (Links to an external site.) Be sure to also watch the video that includes comments by Patrick Kapust, Deputy Director, Directorate of Enforcement Programs, OSHA while he was attending the National Safety Council Conference. Also, review the Penalty Box information and read the interview Q & A with Mr. Kapust. (Some links may open slower than others.)
At the end of the article or from this adjoining webpage, locate the infographic titled Most cited violations, the fiscal year 2019 (PDF). (Links to an external site.) In the infographic, the top 10 violations are detailed by standard, section, and paragraph/subparagraph. In the list are violations from both 1910 and 1926 standards. Remember that 1910 is General Industry and 1926 is for Construction. In this course, we are only focused on 1910 for General Industry. However, it is worth noting that the cited 1926 standard violations do have counterpart standards in 1910.
For example, the number 1 violation is 1926.501 – Fall Protection – General Requirements. In 1910, we can find similar information in 1910.28 – Duty to have fall protection and fall object protection.
From the list of most-cited violations, select one of the 1910 standards:
Hazard Communication – .1200
Lockout/Tagout – .147
Respiratory Protection – .134
Powered Industrial Trucks – .178 or
Machine Guarding – .212
With the standard identified, select a U.S. state and conduct some research on the internet to find a news article or OSHA press release that cited a violation for your selected standard for a company within the identified state.
As an example, in 2019 a Georgia tire maker was cited for 22 safety and health violations including repeat violations of lockout/tagout, documentation/training, improper or missing machine guarding, and a serious violation for not properly training powered truck operators as seen in this article from EHS Daily Advisor: Tire Maker Put on OSHA’s Severe Violators List. (Links to an external site.) This is, of course, an egregious example but should provide you with enough information to conduct your research.
Once you have located the needed facts, write a short one-page paper that includes the following points:
The state, the name of the company, and the type of industry
A brief paragraph on the details of the inspection – date, the reason for inspection, and any other significant details
The cited 1910 standard and, if available, the specific section and paragraph number(s)
Any pertinent facts such as a repeat, serious, or willful citation
Include the article link with your references