During the US Government’s Fiscal year, Oct 1, 2024, to Sept 30, 2025, Federal OSHA conducted nearly 80,000 inspections and issued over 116,000 violations across all industries. Violations on the agency’s official “Top 10 List” accounted for 23,537 (20%) of these citations.
Below is a list of FY 2025’s top 10 most frequently cited standards following inspections of worksites by federal OSHA for all industries. OSHA publishes the list to alert employers about these commonly cited standards so they can take steps to find and fix recognized hazards before OSHA shows up, or, more importantly, workers suffer preventable injuries, illnesses, and deaths related to unmitigated hazards associated with these standards.
| Rank | Safety & Health Standard | Standard Section | Total Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall Protection – General Requirements | 29 CFR 1926.501 | 6992 |
| 2 | Hazard Communication | 29 CFR 1910.1200 | 3010 |
| 3 | Ladder Safety – Construction | 29 CFR 1926.1053 | 2842 |
| 4 | Lockout/Tagout (Control of Hazardous Energy) | 29 CFR 1910.147 | 2562 |
| 5 | Respiratory Protection | 29 CFR 1910.134 | 2294 |
| 6 | Scaffolding | 29 CFR 1926.451 | 2286 |
| 7 | Fall Protection – Training Requirements | 29 CFR 1926.503 | 2216 |
| 8 | Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts) | 29 CFR 1910.178 | 2150 |
| 9 | Eye and Face Protection | 29 CFR 1926.102 | 1965 |
| 10 | Machine Guarding | 29 CFR 1910.212 | 1498 |
Fall Protection consistently remains OSHA’s most cited standard for several reasons:
- Severe Consequences: Falls account for roughly one-third of all construction industry fatalities. OSHA prioritizes fall safety to combat this high death toll and protect workers.
- High Visibility: An inspector can spot a fall hazard (e.g., an unprotected edge or missing scaffolding guardrail) from the ground or a distance, making it the easiest violation to detect.
- Complexity & Scope: The fall protection standard applies to nearly all construction sites and requires highly specific configurations for equipment like harnesses, lanyards, and anchors.
- Complacency and Shortcuts: Employers and workers sometimes skip safety steps to save time or cut costs, or they fail to provide adequate training on equipment usage.