OSHA Penalties increased 78% August 1, 2016.

Think of your efforts here as an investment in "Penalty Prevention."
Think of your efforts here as an investment in “Penalty Prevention.”

The following is a list of the top 10 most frequently cited standards following inspections of worksites by federal OSHA for Fiscal Year 2015.

  1. 1926.501 – Fall Protection (C)
  2. 1910.1200 – Hazard Communication
  3. 1926.451 – Scaffolding (C)
  4. 1910.134 – Respiratory Protection
  5. 1910.147 – Lockout/Tagout
  6. 1910.178 – Powered Industrial Trucks
  7. 1926.1053 – Ladders (C)
  8. 1910.305 – Electrical, Wiring Methods
  9. 1910.212 – Machine Guarding
  10. 1910.303 – Electrical, General Requirements

Note,  the standards that are numbered 1926.XXX – Numbers 1. Fall protection, 3. Scaffolding, and 7. Ladders, are Construction industry, rather than General Industry. Nevertheless, Fall Protection and Ladders are relevant in our manufacturing shops as well. Source: Top Ten Standards 2015
In our work with shops involved in OSHA inspections, we have learned that failure to have documented training and evidence is the more likely to be the root cause of the citation. You must train and you must be able to provide documentary evidence of the training.
A savvy management will take steps in their shops to find and fix recognized hazards addressed in these and other standards before OSHA shows up.
 
Action Steps:

  1. Electrical-On your next walk around the shop, look for outlets and power boxes that are not in good condition and schedule their repair ASAP. If you can see wiring or damage- that is likely a violation.
  2. Machine GuardingThis is a particular area of OSHA emphasis. Are all provided guards in place, or are they being removed or defeated? Each instance would be a violation.
  3. Lockout/TagoutThis too is an OSHA emphasis and on their regulatory agenda for review. Now would be a good time to review that all affected employees have been trained. That evidence exists of that training. And that you have audited  to assure performance. (If I went into your shop and saw a machine undergoing a major changeover, would I find it locked out?)

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