OSHA's Top 10 Most Cited Violations (2026 Updated)

Every year, OSHA publishes its list of the most frequently cited workplace safety violations. The list tells you exactly where employers keep getting it wrong and where workers face the most risk.

Fall protection has held the number one spot for 15 years straight. That’s not a typo. The same violation tops the list year after year because falls remain the leading cause of death in construction.

Here’s the full breakdown of each violation, what it means, and what training addresses it.

The Complete Top 10 List

Data from OSHA’s most recent fiscal year publication, announced at the National Safety Council Congress & Expo.

What Each Violation Means

1. Fall Protection. General Requirements (1926.501)

5,914 citations. This standard requires employers to protect workers from falls on walking/working surfaces at heights of 6 feet or more in construction. Employers must provide guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems.

Why it’s number one every year: Falls are the leading cause of death in construction. They account for roughly 1 in 3 construction fatalities. The standard is straightforward, but compliance requires active effort on every elevated surface at every job site.

Training that addresses it: Fall protection training, OSHA 10 Construction, OSHA 30 Construction

2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)

2,546 citations. This standard requires employers to inform workers about chemical hazards in the workplace. That means maintaining Safety Data Sheets (SDS), labeling all containers, and training workers on the chemicals they work with.

Common violations: Missing or outdated Safety Data Sheets, unlabeled chemical containers, no written hazard communication program, and failure to train workers on chemical hazards.

Training that addresses it: OSHA 10 General Industry, OSHA 30 General Industry, specialized hazard communication training

3. Ladders (1926.1053)

2,405 citations. This construction standard covers safe use, inspection, and maintenance of portable and fixed ladders. Violations include improper setup angles, damaged ladders still in service, and missing safety features.

Common violations: Ladders not extending 3 feet above landing surfaces, using damaged ladders, improper angle (should be 4:1 ratio), and workers carrying loads that prevent safe gripping.

Training that addresses it: OSHA 10 Construction, OSHA 30 Construction

4. Lockout/Tagout. Control of Hazardous Energy (1910.147)

2,177 citations. This standard requires employers to establish procedures for isolating energy sources during equipment maintenance and servicing. Workers must lock out and tag out machines to prevent unexpected startup.

Why it’s dangerous: Failure to control hazardous energy causes an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries per year. Workers get caught in machines that start up unexpectedly during maintenance.

Training that addresses it: Lockout/tagout training, OSHA 30 General Industry

5. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)

1,953 citations. Employers must provide respiratory protection when workers are exposed to harmful dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays, or vapors. This includes fit testing, medical evaluations, and a written respiratory protection program.

Common violations: No fit testing, using the wrong type of respirator, no medical evaluation before assigning respirators, and no written program.

Training that addresses it: Respiratory protection training, OSHA 30 General Industry

6. Fall Protection. Training Requirements (1926.503)

1,907 citations. This is the training companion to violation number one. It requires employers to train all construction workers exposed to fall hazards. Workers must understand how to recognize fall hazards and use fall protection systems.

Key requirement: A competent person must conduct the training. Workers must demonstrate understanding before working at heights.

Training that addresses it: Fall protection training, OSHA 10 Construction

7. Scaffolding (1926.451)

1,905 citations. This construction standard covers the design, construction, and use of scaffolding. It addresses guardrails, platform width, access, and competent person inspections.

Common violations: Missing guardrails, platforms not fully planked, no access ladder, damaged components, and no competent person inspection before each shift.

Training that addresses it: Scaffolding safety training, OSHA 30 Construction

8. Powered Industrial Trucks. Forklifts (1910.178)

1,857 citations. Employers must train and certify all forklift operators. Training must include formal instruction, practical training, and a workplace evaluation. Certification must be renewed every 3 years.

Common violations: Operators not trained, no documentation of training, no practical evaluation, and no 3-year re-evaluation.

Training that addresses it: Forklift certification, OSHA 10 General Industry

9. Eye and Face Protection (1926.102)

1,665 citations. Employers must make sure workers use appropriate eye and face protection when exposed to flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids, caustic liquids, chemical gases, vapors, or light radiation.

Common violations: Workers not wearing safety glasses or goggles, wrong type of eye protection for the hazard, and damaged or inadequate equipment.

Training that addresses it: OSHA 10 Construction, OSHA 30 Construction

10. Machine Guarding (1910.212)

1,239 citations. Machines with moving parts that could cause injury must have guards to protect workers. This includes point-of-operation guards, nip point guards, and other protective devices.

Common violations: Missing guards, guards removed and not replaced, inadequate guarding for the type of hazard, and bypassed safety interlocks.

Training that addresses it: OSHA 10 General Industry, OSHA 30 General Industry

The Pattern: Why the Same Violations Repeat

The top 10 list barely changes year to year. Fall protection has been number one for 15 consecutive years. Hazard communication, ladders, and scaffolding appear consistently.

This isn’t because employers don’t know the rules. It’s because these are fundamental workplace hazards that exist across thousands of job sites. Compliance requires ongoing effort. Every new project, every new worker, every new piece of equipment creates a new opportunity for a violation.

The pattern also points to a training gap. Many of these violations happen because workers and supervisors don’t have current training on the standards. Getting an OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 card covers the basics of most items on this list.

OSHA Penalty Amounts

Getting cited for these violations isn’t just a warning. OSHA penalties are substantial:

These amounts are adjusted annually. States with their own OSHA plans (like California) can impose even higher penalties.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Workplace

If you’re a worker, the best thing you can do is get trained. The OSHA 10 Construction or OSHA 10 General Industry card covers the fundamentals of most violations on this list. If you supervise others, OSHA 30 teaches you how to identify and correct these hazards.

If you’re an employer, focus on the basics:

1. Train every worker before they’re exposed to hazards
2. Document all training
3. Inspect worksites regularly
4. Fix hazards immediately when found
5. Keep Safety Data Sheets current and accessible

The top 10 list isn’t changing anytime soon. But your workplace doesn’t have to be on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does OSHA publish the top 10 violations? Annually. OSHA typically announces the list at the National Safety Council Congress & Expo in the fall. The data covers the previous federal fiscal year.

Are these violations only for construction? No. The list includes both construction standards (1926 series) and general industry standards (1910 series). Fall protection, scaffolding, and ladders are construction-specific. Hazard communication, lockout/tagout, respiratory protection, forklifts, and machine guarding apply to general industry.

What’s the most expensive OSHA violation? Willful violations carry the highest penalties at up to $161,323 per violation. If multiple workers are affected, OSHA can issue separate citations for each worker, multiplying the total penalty significantly.

Does getting an OSHA card prevent violations? Training reduces the likelihood of violations but doesn’t guarantee compliance. An OSHA 10 or 30 card shows workers understand the standards. Actual compliance requires ongoing effort from both workers and employers.