Citations are not evenly distributed. Year after year the same handful of standards account for the majority of violations, and they cluster differently by sector. If you only have budget to fix a few things before an inspection, fix the ones that are statistically most likely to be written.
Construction
| Standard | What gets cited | The control that prevents it |
|---|---|---|
| 1926.501 — Fall Protection | Unprotected edges, leading edges, roof work over 6 ft | Written fall protection plan per site, anchor points designed before work starts, daily harness inspection log |
| 1926.451 / .453 — Scaffolding & Aerial Lifts | Missing guardrails, improper access, no competent person inspection | Documented competent-person inspection each shift, tagged scaffolds |
| 1926.1053 — Ladders | Wrong ladder for the task, no 3-ft extension above landing | Ladder-last policy plus adequate lift/scaffold availability |
| 1926.100 — Head Protection | Hard hats absent in overhead-work zones | Zone signage and supervisor-enforced PPE at access points |
| 1926.20 — General Safety & Health Provisions | No accident prevention program, no competent person designated | Named competent person per site, documented in the pre-task plan |
Manufacturing
| Standard | What gets cited | The control that prevents it |
|---|---|---|
| 1910.147 — Lockout/Tagout | Generic procedure, no machine-specific energy control, no annual audit | Machine-specific procedures posted at each asset plus documented annual inspection |
| 1910.212 / .219 — Machine Guarding | Unguarded points of operation, missing power transmission guards | Guarding survey by machine, change-management review after any retooling |
| 1910.1200 — Hazard Communication | Missing SDS, unlabeled secondary containers, no written program | Chemical inventory reconciled quarterly against what's on the floor |
| 1910.134 — Respiratory Protection | No fit test, no medical evaluation, voluntary-use paperwork missing | Respirator program owner with fit-test schedule tied to hire dates |
| 1910.132 — PPE / Hazard Assessment | No written hazard assessment certification | Signed, dated PPE hazard assessment per work area |
Logistics, warehousing & transportation
| Standard | What gets cited | The control that prevents it |
|---|---|---|
| 1910.178 — Powered Industrial Trucks | No operator evaluation on file, no 3-year re-evaluation, damaged equipment in service | Operator matrix with evaluation dates, pre-shift checklist enforced at the charger |
| 1910.176 — Materials Handling & Storage | Unstable stacking, blocked aisles, damaged rack uprights | Rack inspection program plus painted aisle boundaries |
| 1910.36/.37 — Exit Routes | Blocked or obscured exits, no illuminated signage | Monthly egress walk with photo documentation |
| 1910.303 — Electrical, General | Open panels, missing knockouts, temporary wiring | Quarterly electrical walkdown with a qualified person |
| 1904 — Recordkeeping | Unposted 300A, misclassified cases | Case-by-case recordability review by a trained decision-maker |
The pattern underneath the list
Look across all three tables and the same three failures repeat: a written program that isn't specific to the actual equipment, training that can't be evidenced by name and date, and an inspection or audit cadence that quietly stopped happening. Every one of those is an ownership problem, not a technical one.
Penalties escalate sharply for repeat and willful classifications. The single most expensive mistake is abating a cited condition at one location and leaving the identical condition in place at another — that's how a serious citation becomes a repeat.
For current penalty amounts and the standards themselves, OSHA publishes both at osha.gov; amounts are adjusted annually for inflation, so verify before quoting a figure internally.
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