The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases a top 10 list of its most frequently cited standards at the end of each fiscal year. Now that the fiscal year of October 2020 through September 2021 has ended, information is available about the leading OSHA violations in construction in 2021.
The top citations offer a snapshot of the major safety concerns in the construction industry, which typically accounts for about 1 in 5 worker deaths in the US. The list also serves as a reminder about the importance of meeting safety standards and regulations to prevent injuries and deaths at the construction site.
OSHA’s list that’s publicly released isn’t specific to the construction industry. However, using the agency’s Frequently Cited OSHA Standards search tool, you can filter results by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 23 to get a specific list of the top OSHA violations in construction in 2021.
It’s also worth noting that the 2021 list is very similar to the list from fiscal year 2020. In fact, the most frequently cited OSHA standards in construction tend to be almost all the same year after year. So, these are key areas of concern that all construction companies need to take a close look at.
Here are the top 10 most cited OSHA violations in construction in 2021.
2021 Most Frequently Cited OSHA Standards in Construction
1. Subpart Title: Fall Protection
Standard Number: 1926.501
Title: Duty to have fall protection
Number of Citations: 4,279
2. Subpart Title: Ladders
Standard Number: 1926.1053
Title: Ladders
Number of Citations: 1,602
3. Subpart Title: Scaffolds
Standard Number: 1926.451
Title: General requirements
Number of Citations: 1,468
4. Subpart Title: Fall Protection
Standard Number: 1926.503
Title: Training requirements
Number of Citations: 1,356
5. Subpart Title: Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment
Standard Number: 1926.102
Title: Eye and face protection
Number of Citations: 1,209
6. Subpart Title: Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment
Standard Number: 1926.100
Title: Head protection
Number of Citations: 651
7. Subpart Title: General Safety and Health Provisions
Standard Number: 1926.20
Title: General safety and health provisions
Number of Citations: 648
8. Subpart Title: Scaffolds
Standard Number: 1926.453
Title: Aerial lifts
Number of Citations: 436
9. Subpart Title: Excavations
Standard Number: 1926.651
Title: Specific excavation requirements
Number of Citations: 391
10. Subpart Title: Fall Protection
Standard Number: 1926.502
Title: Fall protection systems criteria and practices
Number of Citations: 343
