OSHA has released its preliminary list of the 10 most frequently cited safety violations for the fiscal year, compiled from about 32,000 workplace inspections:

  1. Fall protection—6,929 citations (+ 208 from 2015)
  2. Hazard communications—677 citations (+485)
  3. Scaffolds—3,906 citations (-389)
  4. Respiratory protection—3,585 citations (+280)
  5. Lockout/tagout—3,414 citations (+412)
  6. Powered industrial trucks—2,860 citations (+100)
  7. Ladders—2,639 citations (+150)
  8. Machine guarding—2,451 citations (+156)
  9. Electrical wiring—1,940 citations (-464)
  10. Electrical, general requirements—1,704 citations (-269)

"One remarkable thing about the list is that it rarely changes," said OSHA Director of Enforcement Programs Thomas Galassi, writing in a recent agency blog.

“More than 4,500 workers are killed on the job every year, and approximately 3 million are injured.

"If all employers simply corrected the top 10 hazards, we are confident the number of deaths, amputations, and hospitalizations would drastically decline.”