OSHA Reveals Top 10 Most Cited Violations for 2019

Fall protection most frequently cited workplace safety violation

September 12, 2019

The U.S. National Safety Council (NSC) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the preliminary Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations for fiscal year 2019.

With more than 6,000 reported violations, “Fall Protection – General Requirements” tops this year’s list for the ninth consecutive year followed by “Hazard Communication” at nearly 3,700 cited violations. Meanwhile, “Eye and Face Protection,” a newcomer to last year’s list, remains in the No. 10 spot with just over 1,400 violations.

Based on preliminary figures as of August 15, the top 10 violations for 2019 are:

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements — 6,010

2. Hazard Communication — 3,671

3. Scaffolding — 2,813

4. Lockout/Tagout — 2,606

5. Respiratory Protection — 2,450

6. Ladders — 2,345

7. Powered Industrial Trucks — 2,093

8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements — 1,773

9. Machine Guarding — 1,743

10. Eye and Face Protection — 1,411.

The list was presented as part of the NSC 2019 Congress & Expo in San Diego this week. A more in-depth look at the top 10 violations for 2019 will be published in the December edition of Safety+Health magazine, a NSC publication.

Latest Articles

woman looking at a laptop
October 29, 2026 Jeff Cross

Don’t Let a Chatbot Decide Who You Hire

October 29, 2026 Jeff Cross

How to Stop the Revolving Door at Your Cleaning Company

October 28, 2026 Kathleen Misovic

Breathe Easy: Improving Indoor Air Quality

Sponsored Articles

Better Wiping Products Start with Sellars
October 26, 2026

Better Wiping Products Start with Sellars

October 23, 2026

What Is Cleaning Really Costing You?

October 23, 2026

120 Years of Innovation. Built for a Cleaner Future.

Recent News

Fabian Garcia

Clorox Taps Fabian Garcia as New CEO, Ushering in New Era

AI Adoption Accelerates Among Facilities Management

Climate-related Health Harms Are Growing Faster Than the Global Response