OSHA Top 10 Citations for 2023

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that as recently as 2021, there were 5,190 fatal occupational injuries in the United States, and millions more were injured or developed illnesses. To protect workers, regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cover a wide range of potential hazards. These hazards can imperil worker health and safety, and by law, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees.
To help improve workplace safety each year, OSHA releases a list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations for the fiscal year. The list is compiled from tens of thousands of workplace inspections conducted by OSHA staff. For 2023, fall protection was the most-cited standard for the 13th year in a row.
The preliminary list of OSHA’s Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards, for fiscal year 2023, includes:
1. Fall Protection - General Requirements (7,271 violations)
2. Hazard Communication (3,213 violations)
3. Ladders (2,978 violations)
4. Scaffolding (2,859 violations)
5. Powered Industrial Trucks (2,561 violations)
6. Lockout/Tagout (2,554 violations)
7. Respiratory Protection (2,481 violations)
8. Fall Protection - Training Requirements (2,112 violations)
9. Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment - Eye and Face Protection (2,074 violations)
10. Machine Guarding (1,644 violations)
After years of releasing the Top 10 list, it unfortunately changes little year-to-year. OSHA urges employers to go beyond the minimal requirements to create a culture of safety at work, which has been shown to reduce costs, raise productivity and improve morale.
These are just a few of the many things to know about the top 10 list of OSHA citations for 2023. To learn more about this or other occupational, industrial hygiene, health, safety or environmental issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark www.csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. www.emsl.com
LA Testing www.latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental www.zimmetry.com
CTSI www.ctsiweb.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine www.healthyindoors.com