Late last year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a report in which they highlighted the top 10 workplace violations that they issued citations for in 2019. Many of the violations listed have long been problems in the workplace. It still doesn’t seem that employers have taken the necessary steps to make the changes necessary to eradicate them though.
One of the leading causes of workplace violation citations in 2019 was fall protection failures. OSHA standards require employers to implement safety protocols anytime an employee is assigned to work on a vertical or horizontal surface that sits up more than six feet above the ground. Employers are generally only required to do this if that surface has an unprotected edge or side though.
The second leading factor that resulted in OSHA violations in 2019 was poor hazard communication. The organization requires employers to post when potentially hazardous chemicals and other substances are present in a work environment. OSHA also expects employers to post safety data sheets about potential dangers associated with working around such substances on the job as well.
Scaffolding was the third leading reason why OSHA issued workplace citations in 2019. Many employers who were cited for this offense failed to have a qualified individual design and/or construct adequate scaffolding for their employees to stand on while working. Others failed to implement measures that would protect their workers from being struck by falling objects. Employers are required to do this when their employees are working at heights of 10 feet or more.
Lockout/tagout and respiratory protection injuries rounded out the list of the top five reasons that OSHA had to issue safety citations in 2019. Ladder, powered industrial truck, fall protection training concerns, machine guarding and eye and face protection violations all rounded out the list of the top 10 reasons for OSHA violations citations in 2019.
Many Torrance workplaces that have new equipment and safety notices posted appear safe, but they’re not. Employees must be properly trained on how to operate machinery. Regular maintenance must be performed on it to make sure that it’s in proper working order as well. An attorney may advise you of your right to receive compensated medical care and lost wages if you’ve been hurt due to your California employer’s failure to train you or others or to properly maintain its equipment.
