OSHA has released data for the top 10 most-cited standards in fiscal year 2022. The data includes violations cited between Oct. 1, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022.
For the 12th year running, Fall Protection – General Requirements was the most frequently cited standard with more than double the citations of the second most-cited standard. Despite this remarkable consistency, or perhaps because of it, safety practices around working at elevated heights have continued to evolve.
The 10 most-cited standards in 2022 remained the same as in 2021, though the order shifted somewhat. Hazard Communication jumped from fifth to second, with a 25% increase in cited violations. The biggest drop in cited violations occurred in Scaffolding, with a 19% decrease. Respiratory Protection, which surged early in the pandemic, fell from second to third in 2022, but was still more prominent than it had been before COVID-19.
The chart below gives financial year 2022 data alongside the data from FY 2021. OSHA’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.
OSHA Standard – FY 2022 Result – Previous Year Result
1. Fall Protection – 5,980 Violations – No. 1 with 5,271 Violations
2. Hazard Communication – 2,682 Violations – No. 5 with 1,939 Violations
3. Respiratory Protection – 2,471 Violations – No. 2 with 2,521 Violations
4. Ladders – 2,430 Violations – No. 3 with 2,018 Violations
5. Scaffolding – 2,285 Violations – No. 4 with 2,538 Violations
6. Lockout/Tagout – 2,175 Violations – No. 6 with 1,670 Violations
7. Powered Industrial Trucks – 1,922 Violations – No. 9 with 1,404 Violations
8. Fall Protection Training Requirements – 1,778 Violations – No. 7 with 1,660 Violations
9. Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment: Eye and Face Protection – 1,582 Violations – No. 8 with 1,451 Violations
10. Machine Guarding – 1,488 Violations – No. 10 with 1,105 Violations