Top 10 "Serious" OSHA Violations

Written by Staff Writer

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, commonly known as OSHA, ensures safe and healthy working conditions by establishing standards, developing education, mandating training and providing regulatory oversight. Each year, OSHA reports the most frequently cited violations, including the most serious and willful violations committed with disregard or indifference to OSHA requirements.

Serious violations in the workplace are especially concerning to OSHA, as they often result in severe physical injury or death. The top 10 safety OSHA violations reported in fiscal year (FY) 2026 are listed below, including some statistics and tips for minimizing each type of potential hazard in your workplace.

Where multiple industries have similar standards, the entries in OSHA's list of the top 10 most frequently cited standards for FY 2026 are tracked and cited separately. For instance, fall protection standards vary slightly between general industry (29 CFR 1910) and construction (29 CFR 1926).

#1 - Fall Protection: Construction

The most frequently cited workplace violation was fall protection — once again. This category dominates the list nearly every year, and FY 2026 was no exception.

The administration cited 4,041 fall protection violations. OSHA standards require employers to construct and install safety systems to prevent workplace falls. These regulations are specifically designed for employees working on surfaces with an unprotected edge that extends more than six feet from the surface below.

For more information on fall protection standards, you can visit OSHA's website. If you own a construction business or supervise a team in the construction industry, consider investing in Fall Protection Certificate courses, for your workforce.

Safety & Prevention Tips

• Provide employee supervision to prevent falls.
• Protect sides and edges with a barrier.
• Test the stability of surfaces to prevent employees from falling through.
• Urge extra caution on steep and low-slope roofs.

#2 - Hazard Communication: Construction

Hazard communication, or HazCom, violations were cited 1,961 times in FY 2026. Each one involves chemical hazards found in the workplace, including chemicals produced on site and those brought in for use on the job. OSHA requires employers to properly train employees to identify and properly communicate these hazards.

More information regarding hazard communication can be found on OSHA's website. Hazard communication standards training provides helpful guidance on federal requirements for chemical labels, safety data sheets and more.

Safety & Prevention Tips

• Improve employee training and provide continuing education about chemical hazards.
• Maintain safety data sheets.
• Ensure that informative labels are placed on all chemical containers.

#3 - Lockout/Tagout: General Industry

OSHA issues lockout/tagout violations when rules for controlling hazardous energy are disregarded during the maintenance and servicing of workplace equipment. A total of 1,863 serious lockout/tagout violations were cited last year.

Learn more about the regulations on OSHA's website. Lockout/tagout training helps ensure team members follow safe procedures and federal requirements.

Safety & Prevention Tips

• Ensure proper testing and positioning of equipment and machines.
• Inspect work areas to remove unnecessary items and verify that the equipment is intact.
• Train employees about energy control procedures.

#4 - Scaffolding: Construction

Scaffolding poses serious safety risks, including fall and struck-by hazards. Regulators issued 1,725 total scaffolding citations in FY 2026. To ensure worker safety, a qualified person must design, construct and load scaffolding using a tested layout. This is especially important for the safety of construction workers operating at heights greater than 10 feet.

For more information on scaffolding regulations, consult OSHA's guide to scaffold use in the construction industry. Training on OSHA's scaffolding regulations helps your team understand compliance requirements for a variety of scaffold types.

Safety & Prevention Tips

• Provide barriers around edges to prevent falls.
• Use guardrail supports on all platforms.
• Limit worker access to scaffolding areas.
• Pay attention to the weight capacity on scaffolding structures.

#5 - Ladders: Construction

Ladders continue to be one of the top safety hazards, reaching 1,659 cited standards violations in FY 2026 year alone.

You can read the general ladder requirements on OSHA's website or take a detailed class on ladder and stairway regulations to earn a digital Certificate of Completion.

Safety & Prevention Tips

• Ensure ladder side rails extend at least three feet above the upper surface.
• Only issue ladders for their intended purpose.
• Remove worn or defective ladders from the workplace.
• Only permit the use of ladders on stable and level surfaces.

#6 - Respiratory Protection: General Industry

Companies that handle toxic chemicals can put employees at risk of chronic respiratory health conditions. OSHA cited 1,608 serious respiratory protection violations last fiscal year.

Respiratory protection training helps safeguard employees who are regularly exposed to toxic fumes and airborne irritants.

Safety & Prevention Tips

• Adhere to medical evaluation requirements.
• Incorporate respirator use and cleaning in your standard operating procedures.
• Provide employees with respiratory protection training and information.

#7 - Powered Industrial Trucks

Powered industrial trucks (PITs) include forklifts and motorized hand trucks used in many workplaces. Serious violations led to 1,379 citations last fiscal year.

OSHA's PIT standards are broadly applicable across many industries. Make sure your team is prepared with high-quality forklift certification and other PIT training courses.

Safety & Prevention Tips

• Train operators according to OSHA standards.
• Ensure the competency of truck operators.
• Remove unsafe trucks until they are repaired.

#8 - Fall Protection: Training Requirements

Not to be confused with the No. 1 category above, these citations are for failing to properly train employees on fall hazards in the workplace. The administration issued 1,273 citations in FY 2026 for training failures related to fall protection.

Employers must provide suitable instruction to those who work around raised surfaces, scaffolds, ladders or other fall hazards. You can learn more about training requirements on OSHA's website.

Safety & Prevention Tips

• Invest in quality fall protection training for all employees.
• Designate a competent person to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Keep a record of all training and ensure all workers are up to date.

#9 - Eye and Face Protection: Construction

Thousands of people suffer serious facial injuries each year, including blindness. Those tragedies could have been prevented with proper eye and face protection. Last fiscal year, employers were cited 1,120 times for improper use of face or eye personal protective equipment (PPE).

If you're not sure whether the PPE in your workplace meets OSHA standards, explore the federal regulations.

Safety & Prevention Tips

• Regularly inventory your PPE to make sure you have enough.
• Enforce the use of provided PPE to prevent accidents whenever hazards are present.
• Ensure that available face and eye protection equipment meets standards for chemical, environmental, radiological, mechanical and other hazards.

#10 - Machine Guarding: General Industry

Machine guarding helps protect machine operators and nearby workers from potential hazards, which include rotating parts, flying chips and sparks. Last fiscal year, OSHA issued 1,072 serious machine guarding safety violations.

More information on machine guarding regulations is available on OSHA's website. If you or your employees need machine guarding training, you can receive an OSHA-compliant machine guarding education through this class.

Safety & Prevention Tips

• Properly anchor fixed machinery.
• Urge extreme caution for all tasks involving blades or other dangerous parts.
• Monitor all points of operation for compliance with standards.

Annual Improvement

Citations were down across all top categories, including frequent list-toppers like fall protection general requirements. While a nationwide trend toward fewer incidents is encouraging, you can still learn more from these notable failures.

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