Jared Williams, Hemco
The top five cited violations remained constant and in the same order. All but one violation, fall protection — training requirements, remained in the top 10 from 2016. The list didn’t see any drastic changes, and almost every violation saw a decrease in overall citations.
Preliminary numbers show fall protection accounted for 6,072 citations during fiscal year 2017. The total number dropped by 857, just at 12 percent, from the previous fiscal year. OSHA reported the number of fall protection violations rose from 2015 to 2016 by over 200 violations, so to see a decrease from 2016 to 2017 is encouraging progress.
The second-most-cited violation, hazard communication, saw 4,176 citations, a decrease of approximately 26 percent. Per OSHA, “In order to ensure chemical safety in the workplace, information about the identities and hazards of the chemicals must be available and understandable to workers.”
Scaffolding violations remained No. 3; this category dropped by 618. When looking at the top violations under scaffolding, fall protection made up more than 20 percent of the violations within this category.
At No. 4, respiratory citations fell by over 13 percent. OSHA’s respiratory protection standards state, “To control occupational diseases caused by breathing air contaminated with harmful dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes or vapors, the primary objective shall be to prevent atmospheric contamination.” OSHA requires a doctor to provide proper documents regarding an employee’s ability to use a respirator. The employer must then provide a respirator after receiving the doctor’s approval.
Ladder citations moved up one spot from 2016 to sixth place and dropped by 15 percent with 2,241 citations. Top issues surrounding ladders include not being used for their designated purposes, employees using the top steps of step ladders, not labeling portable ladders with defects appropriately, ladders not being used on stable and level surfaces, and more.
Powered industrial trucks moved back one spot, succumbing to ladder-related issues, but this violation appeared on the top 10 list at No. 7. Powered industrial truck violations refer to the proper handling and operating of vehicles and equipment like forklifts and sit-down rider trucks; this violation witnessed right around a 24.5-percent decrease in citations.
Again, machine guarding came in eighth and saw a 21-percent drop in citations given. Machine guarding requires that operators be familiar with the standards and machinery being handled. A few of the top machines that require guarding include drill presses, mechanical power presses, milling machines, break presses, power tools, power transmission equipment, wood handling equipment and others. Operators should be able to identify hazardous functions of industrial machines, such as flying sparks and pinch points.
A new violation that found its way into the top 10 is fall protection — training requirements, which requires all employers provide proper training programs for each employee who might be exposed to fall hazards. This violation came in at No. 9 with 1,523 citations.
Electrical wiring methods came in at No. 10 with 1,405 violations, which was a 17.5-percent decrease. This standard pertains to wiring methods, components and equipment for general use. OSHA has developed criteria for electrical safety to protect employees from hazards such as shock, electrocution, fires and explosions.
While numbers seem to be decreasing, we’re still finding the same violations continue to make the top 10 list each year. OSHA offers a wide range of training programs, workplace protection equipment and risk mitigation solutions designed to address every violation
For more information, visit www.hemcoind.com or call (713) 681-2426
