The 10 Most Frequently Cited OSHA Violations in 2020 in Construction

OSHA

OSHA

Each year, OSHA releases a list of the most commonly cited Federal OSHA standards at the end of their fiscal year, which runs from October of the previous year to September. The list gives a glimpse into what contractors struggle the most with and also what OSHA inspectors focus the most on.

In years past, I shared the top 10 list of violations across all industries, but this year, I was able to find a list of construction-specific standards.

Generally speaking, the list of standards doesn’t have a lot of movement. Duty to have fall protection has been at the top of the list for several years, unsurprisingly. Despite being the leading cause of jobsite injuries and fatalities for a long time, fall protection is still a huge opportunity in the industry. That number is also compounded by the fact that OSHA has more fall related incidents to inspect, leading to more violations. Fall Protection, in total, accounts for 3 of the violations in the top 10.

Falling just outside the top 10 list was the Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard (1926.1153) with 288 violations and $538,696 in penalties.

Without further ado, here is the list of the Top 10 most frequently cited OSHA violations in Construction in 2020

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501)

  • 4,134 violations

  • $22,313,961 in total penalties

2. Scaffolding (1926.451)   

  • 1,714 violations

  • $4,912,510 in total penalties

3. Ladders (1926.1053)

  • 1,575 violations

  • $4,695,884 in total penalties

4. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503)

  • 1,231 violations

  • $1,991,781 in total penalties

5. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment - Eye and Face Protection (1926.102)

  • 1,096 violations

  • $3,495,424 in total penalties

6. General Safety and Health Provisions (1926.20)

  • 632 violations

  • $2,292,974 in total penalties

7. Head Protection (1926.100)

  • 578 violations

  • $1,593,688 in total penalties

8. Specific Excavation Requirements (1926.651)

  • 525 violations

  • $2,742,125 in total penalties

9. Aerial Lifts (1926.453)

  • 448 violations

  • $1,465,467 in total penalties

10. Fall Protection Systems Criteria and Practices (1926.502)

  • 429 violations

  • $1,208,248 in total penalties

More information: OSHA Citation Violations for Fiscal Year 2020 | OSHA

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Shane Hedmond
Shane Hedmond

Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.

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