In the past several months OSHA has published statistics regarding the most cited violations and statistics about worker fatalities.
If your operation involves work covered by any of the following “most cited violations” or if your operation is involved in an industry where the statistics indicate a greater likelihood of worker fatality, you should encourage your safety compliance officer to review your safety program and focus training.
The most cited violations include:
- Fall protection
- Hazard communication
- Scaffolding
- Respiratory protection
- Lockout/tag out
- Ladders
- Powered industrial trucks
- Machine guarding
- Electrical wiring methods
Most work places will encounter one or more of these standards on a regular basis. Obviously, if your safety program does not cover the above areas, it should.
As far as worker fatalities, 5,190 workers were killed on the job in 2016 with an additional 50-60,000 dying from occupational disease. The industries showing the greatest increase in fatalities were manufacturing and mining, with industries of construction, transportation, warehousing and agriculture showing the greatest number of fatalities. Employers across the country reported nearly 3.7 million work related injuries and illnesses.
A particular note by OSHA was the rise in workplace violence. While OSHA has no regulation covering this area, the increase in incidents of workplace violence is significant. Workplace violence is now the second leading cause of workplace death. Violence in the workplace accounted for more than 27,000 lost time injuries and 866 deaths, 500 of those being homicides.
We encourage all employers to be vigilant in this area and if you see any particular issues regarding potential violence, you should respond immediately.
If you need any assistance in establishing your safety program, answering questions with respect to regulation compliance, or any other matters regarding OSHA, please feel free to contact one of our attorneys.