OSHA requires employers and building owners to provide a safe working environment to prevent employees from falling off elevated work areas, work platforms, or falling into holes in the roof or floor. Fall protection is consistently one of the top most violations because the most common causes of work- related injuries and deaths are due to falls.
Most-Cited Violations in Fall Protection
The most frequently cited OSHA violations in fiscal year 2018 lie within fall protection which continues to be at the top of the list for the most cited violations. This number one most cited Fall Protection General Requirements Standard 1926.501 had a total of 7216 violations which is an increase of 329 violations (about 4.8%) from fiscal year 2017. *Specific number of violations from Safety and Health Magazine
The top 5 sections cited are summarized below:
- 1926.501(b)(13) Workers involved in residential construction six feet or more above lower levels need fall protection by guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems.
- 1926.501(b)(1) Workers on a walking/working surface with an unprotected side or edge six feet or more above a lower level need fall protection by guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems.
- 1926.501(b)(10) Workers involved in roofing activities on low-slope roofs with unprotected sides and edges six feet or more above lower levels need fall protection by guardrail systems, safety net systems, personal fall arrest systems, or a combination of warning line system and guardrail system, warning line system and safety net system, or warning line system and personal fall arrest system, or warning line system and safety monitoring system.
- 1926.501(b)(11) Workers on a steep roof with unprotected sides and edges six feet or more above lower levels need fall protection by guardrail systems with toeboards, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems.
- 1926.501(b)(4)(i) Workers on walking/working surfaces need protection from falling through holes (including skylights) more than six feet above lower levels by personal fall arrest systems, covers, or guardrail systems erected around such holes.
OSHA’s Penalties
It is interesting to note that in construction, there were a total of 25,294 total citations and $73,660,506 in total penalties with an average penalty of $2,912. What is the non-compliance cost in 2019? **Page 222 of Federal Register
- Serious, Other-Than-Serious, and Posting Requirements Violations: Carries a maximum penalty of $13,260 per violation, up from $12,934 per violation in 2018.
- Failure to Abate Violations: The maximum penalty is $13,260 per day beyond the abatement, up from $12,934 per day beyond the abatement date in 2018.
- Willful or Repeated Violations: The new maximum penalty is $132,598 per violation, up from $129,336 per violation in 2018. Willful violations include a minimum fine of $9,472, up from $9,239 in 2018.
OSHA violations in the workplace can incur financial costs and endanger workers.
If you’d like to learn more about a specific EDGE Fall Protection system, reach out to our team.
www.EDGEfallprotection.com
info@edgefallprotection.com
844-314-1374
