The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has the unique mission of making sure some public and private employers maintain safe and healthy work environments for their employees throughout the country, including New York. In furthering its mission to protect workers and avoid construction accidents, OSHA annually announces the Top 10 Most-Cited OSHA Violations for the previous year in the hope that the alert will prompt employers to fix recognized hazards before OSHA shows up. Recently, the federal regulatory agency issued its list of most frequently cited post-inspection violations.
Top OSHA Violations
Topping this year's list are violations of OSHA regulations relating to scaffolding and fall protection; No. 1 and 2 respectively. Falling under the OSHA regulations dealing with toxic and hazardous substances, the No. 3 and No. 4 violations are hazardous communication and respiratory protection violations. Issues with environmental controls, ladders, machinery guarding, electrical safety and industrial truck issues help round out the remaining list.
Even though the OSHA list seems to cover a diverse set of standards, the largest set of violations relate to construction and related activities. Construction remains one of the most dangerous industries in the nation. In 2009, construction workers suffered 816 on-the-job fatalities. This number represents nearly one out of every five work-related deaths for that year.
Goals of OSHA
When the Occupational Safety and Health Act became law in 1970, it ushered in an era of heightened demand for worker and workplace safety. Since its creation more than four decades ago, OSHA has pushed to reduce the risks for accidents; however, some companies seem to continue not to take worker safety seriously.
Given the extent and familiarity of employers with OSHA regulations, many work-site-related accidents are preventable. Even with the warning of OSHA expectations, many companies continue to have wilful and serious standard violations. In 2010, contractor O&G Industries Inc. was hit with more than $8 million in penalties for a 132 violations, ranging from "duty to have fall protection" to "failure to provide safety training and education." Other industry giants, including Citgo Petroleum and Samsung Guam, have been assessed millions in penalties for construction-related violations, as well.
When companies fail to met OSHA standards, they breach their duties to protect their workers. Employees should actively understand and protect their rights. If they don't, they may be forfeiting their health and happiness for someone else's profit line.
