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

Shivek Gupta
July 10, 2025 Jeff Cross

The Buyer’s Playbook: What Makes a BSC Stand Out in Today’s Market

July 9, 2025 CMM Staff

BSCs Navigate Change

July 9, 2025 Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner

Preparing Evacuation Shelters for Hurricanes and Other Natural Disasters

Sponsored Articles

Setting a New Standard for Restroom Dispensers
July 3, 2025 Sponsored by Tork, an Essity Brand

Setting a New Standard for Restroom Dispensers

July 3, 2025 Sponsored by SPARTAN CHEMICAL CO.

DfE-Certified Restroom Disinfectant—No PPE Required

July 3, 2025 Sponsored by SOFIDEL AMERICAN CORP

School District Cuts Plumbing Costs With Sofidel

Recent News

Texas flooding

Texas Flood Ranks as The Deadliest US Freshwater Flood in About 50 Years

US Hits Troubling Milestone

Medical Organizations Sue the HHS Over Vaccine Policy