The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) was created to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for employees. Employers must provide a workplace that's free from serious hazards and that follows all OSHA requirements, such as these high-profile safety and health standards:
- Confined Spaces
- Forklift Safety
- Hazard Communication
- Injury & Illness Recordkeeping (OSHA 300 Log)
- Lockout/Tagout
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
OSHA compliance training is required for employees as part of several standards. View our training checklist to see what may be required for your business.
In addition, written safety plans are required for several industries. Browse our safety plan solutions as well as the additional compliance solutions below.
News
- Motor vehicle incidents during commute can be work-related, according to new OSHA interpretation 2/11/22
- OSHA withdraws COVID-19 ETS 1/26/22
- OSHA raises penalties for 2022 1/14/22
- OSHA’s Fall 2021 Regulatory Agenda shows what’s on the horizon 12/17/22
- OSHA releases long-awaited vaccination/testing standard 11/4/21
- Recordability and the COVID-19 vaccine 4/30/21
Topics — What You Need to Know
What are the Top 10 OSHA violations?
Which OSHA regulations are most commonly violated? Take a look at the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards. The preliminary list relies on information from October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021.
- Fall Protection - General Requirements (29 CFR 1926.501) – view Fall Protection Training solutions
- Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134) – view OSHA Respiratory Protection solutions
- Ladders (29 CFR 1926.1053) – view OSHA Ladder & Stairway solutions
- Scaffolds (29 CFR 1926.451) – view OSHA Scaffolding solutions
- Hazard Communication (29 CFR 1910.1200) – view OSHA Hazard Communication solutions
- Lockout/Tagout (29 CFR 1910.147) – view OSHA Lockout/Tagout solutions
- Fall Protection - Training Requirements (29 CFR 1926.503) – view Fall Protection Training solutions
- Personal Protective Equipment - Eye and Face protection (29 CFR 1926.102) – view Eye and Face Protection solutions
- Powered Industrial Trucks (29 CFR 1910.178) – view OSHA Forklift Safety solutions
- Machine Guarding (29 CFR 1910.212) – view OSHA Machine Guarding solutions
What do I need to know about OSHA inspections?
With the buzz surrounding OSHA's stepped-up enforcement, employers often wonder what their chances are for an inspection. While almost any employer could be inspected on any given day, there are certain factors that increase the likelihood of an inspection, including:
- Imminent danger — often triggered by a call from an employee or member of the public, a referral from another agency or a plain-view observation.
- Fatality/catastrophe — triggered by incidents involving a death, hospitalization, amputation, or loss of eye.
- Worker complaints and referrals — triggered by allegations of hazards or violations.
- Targeted inspections — triggered by National Emphasis Programs, and Regional and Local Emphasis Programs.
- Follow-up inspections — triggered by citations issued in the past. OSHA conducts follow-up inspections to ensure hazards have been abated at a specific facility and other locations of the same company where it believes similar hazards likely exist.
OSHA conducts approximately 40,000 inspections per year, resulting in adjusted penalties of approximately $35 million. See below for more facts and figures regarding OSHA inspection.
What triggers inspections most often?
The following table shows how frequently different types of OSHA inspections generally occur. Employers should take note of programmed inspections, which OSHA conducts to target certain industries, hazards, or workplaces. In addition, employers should realize that reporting a serious injury to OSHA increases chances of either a phone investigation or onsite-inspection. While employers can’t prevent inspectors from showing up, they can be prepared by knowing the likelihood of an inspection.
Federal OSHA Inspections — By the Numbers | ||
---|---|---|
Reason for inspection | Description | Frequency |
National, regional, local emphasis programs | 40-50% of all inspections. | |
Complaints | 25% of all inspections | |
Referrals from other agencies | 13% of all inspections | |
Follow-up from prior inspection | Varies | |
Plain-view | ||
Severe injury reports | 1,800 per year |
Safety & Compliance Solutions
Get the tools and information you need to comply with OSHA requirements, including manuals, training, PPE and much more – all backed by our in-house regulatory experts.
OSHA Compliance for General Industry Manual
Get easy-to-understand explanations of safety regulations. Includes Online Edition & 1-Year Update Service.
OSHA Rules for General Industry Guide
Puts workplace safety regulations in reader-friendly format. Includes Online Edition & 1-Year Update Service.
Give your employees a strong foundation in safety and OSHA regulations.
Workplace Safety Regulatory Alert
Get up-to-date OSHA safety and compliance news every month.
Our experienced consultants will help ensure your compliance with OSHA regulations.
J. J. Keller® Safety Management Suite
Replacing our previous safety solution, KellerOnline®, SMS provides safety management system tools and applications to help drive performance, reduce risk and ensure compliance.
Ongoing on-site guidance and resources for improving workplace compliance.
Facility signs identify specific hazards to help prevent accidents and injuries.