OSHA’s fall protection standard was the No. 1 most-frequently cited agency standard in fiscal year 2019. Falls are among the most common causes of serious work related injuries and deaths. Employers must set up the work place to prevent employees from falling off of overhead platforms, elevated work stations or into holes in the floor and walls.
OSHA’s hazard communication standard was the second most-frequently cited agency standard in FY 2019. The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is now aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).
Lockout/Tagout was the fourth most-frequently cited agency standard in FY 2019. The standard outlines measures for controlling hazardous energies — electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, and other energy sources.
OSHA’s respiratory protection standard was the fifth most-frequently cited agency standard in FY 2019. OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard applies to general industry, construction, shipyards, marine terminals, and longshoring...
Ladders 1926.1053 was the sixth most-frequently cited agency standard in FY 2019. Specialty Trade Contractors and Construction of Buildings earned the lion’s share of OSHA citations for violations of standard 1926.1053, with employers in the first category...
Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503) was the eighth most-frequently cited agency standard in FY 2019. Construction industry employers filled the top three categories of most-cited industries for violations of this standard.
Eye and Face Protection (1926.102) was the tenth most-frequently cited agency standard in FY 2019. Specialty Trade Contractors were the most-cited category for this standard, with 1,440 citations stemming from 1,434 inspections, resulting in $3,557,690 in proposed penalties.
As defined by OSHA, combustible dust is “a solid material composed of distinct particles or pieces, regardless of size, shape or chemical composition, which can present a fire or deflagration hazard when suspended in air or some other oxidizing medium over a range of concentrations.”
A company owner in Roslindale, Massachusetts was sentenced this week to two years in the House of Corrections after being found guilty of two counts of manslaughter for the deaths of two employees. Kevin Otto, owner of Atlantic Drain Services, will have three years’ probation following his sentence, and he can never again employ anyone in a job that involves excavation.