February 18th, 2024 by Dakota Software Staff
The manufacturing sector is constantly evolving, but one thing that remains unchanged is the importance of workplace safety. With the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) leading the way in ensuring safety standards are met, it's important for organizations to be aware of the most common violations cited by OSHA in 2023. By familiarizing themselves with these violations, EHS leaders will be better prepared to create a safer and more productive workplace for their employees.
In 2023, the list highlights familiar challenges, reflecting areas that require ongoing attention and improvement. Here is the entire top ten list of OSHA violations for fiscal year 2023:
Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501)
Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
Ladders (1926.1053)
Scaffolding (1926.451)
Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503)
Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102)
Machine Guarding (1910.212)
Five out of ten on the list, highlighted above in bold, are 29 CFR Part 1910 - General Industry Standards, most pertinent to the manufacturing sector. These areas reflect frequent sources of non-compliance and represent significant opportunities for enhancing safety protocols within manufacturing environments.
Let's explore the critical violations that hold particular significance for the manufacturing sector and dissect the complexities and common hurdles in achieving compliance:
With 3,213 violations, Hazard Communication underscores the critical importance of a comprehensive approach to managing hazardous chemical information. The challenge often lies in ensuring that safety data sheets (SDSs) are up-to-date and readily accessible to all employees. Moreover, proper labeling of chemicals presents another hurdle, with many manufacturers struggling to adhere to standardized formats that include necessary hazard warnings and precautionary statements.
These challenges can often be traced back to a lack of systematic chemical information management processes, leading to communication and employee awareness gaps. To address these issues, manufacturers must prioritize implementing robust chemical management systems that facilitate the regular update and dissemination of safety information.
The safe operation of powered industrial trucks, accounting for 2,561 violations, remains a significant concern. Critical problems include inadequate operator training, lack of regular equipment inspections, and failure to enforce safety protocols consistently. Operators may be unaware of or disregard the operational limits of their vehicles, leading to unsafe practices such as overloading, speeding, or improper maneuvering.
Regular maintenance is often overlooked, resulting in equipment malfunctions contributing to accidents. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive training program that covers the basics of operation and emphasizes the importance of daily inspections and adherence to safety guidelines.
Recording 2,554 violations, Lockout/Tagout procedures are crucial for preventing unexpected energization or start-up of machinery during maintenance. The prevalent issues here include a lack of proper lockout devices, insufficient training for employees involved in maintenance, and the absence of clear procedures for applying and removing lockout/tagout devices.
Many violations occur because employees are unaware of the energy control program or choose to bypass procedures for convenience, underestimating the risks involved. To mitigate these risks, manufacturers must develop and enforce a detailed energy control program that includes regular audits of lockout/tagout procedures, comprehensive training, and the availability of appropriate lockout devices.
The need for proper respiratory protection, evidenced by 2,481 violations, highlights the ongoing challenge of protecting workers from harmful airborne contaminants. Issues often arise from the selection of inappropriate respirators, inadequate fit testing, and poor maintenance of respiratory equipment.
Furthermore, a lack of understanding about when and where respirators should be used contributes to non-compliance. Effective management of respiratory protection programs involves conducting thorough hazard assessments, ensuring that all employees are fit-tested for their respirators, and providing training on properly using, maintaining, and storing respiratory equipment.
With 1,644 violations, the importance of machine guarding in preventing injuries cannot be overstated. Common problems include missing guards, improperly adjusted guards, and using machines without the necessary safety features. In some cases, guards are removed to increase speed and ease of operation, significantly heightening the risk of accidents.
Ensuring compliance in this area requires a vigilant approach to machinery inspection, the installation of appropriate guards as per manufacturer recommendations, and training employees to understand the risks associated with operating unguarded machinery.
Having outlined the critical areas where manufacturers frequently stumble in compliance, the next logical step is to address how these challenges can be overcome. Dakota Software offers tools and strategies to navigate the intricacies of these common violations.
While the OSHA Top 10 list is nearly identical year after year, these violations stem from a wide variety of factors. Often, organizations lack the type of safety culture that empowers employees to work effectively and safely. Other times, employees lack proper training or guidance when confronted with workplace hazards. Typically though, violations can be traced back to a general misunderstanding or lack of awareness by EHS staff of the details of the regulatory requirements.
Therefore, effective compliance management must be a foundational element of workplace safety. Through comprehensive EHS management solutions, Dakota Software enables manufacturers to streamline compliance processes, enhance worker safety, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Here are some of the many ways Dakota’s solutions can help EHS leaders improve safety performance and avoid costly violations.
EHS Compliance Management Tools: Dakota Software's ProActivity Suite includes an integrated Regulatory Database that ensures compliance calendars are always up-to-date and safety audits are comprehensive and consistent. These solutions directly address these common violations by enabling manufacturers to proactively manage compliance tasks, conduct thorough audits, and ensure adherence to OSHA standards.
Health & Safety Management: Dakota’s Incident Management module enhances incident reporting and analysis, shifting safety management from reactive to proactive. Utilized in coordination with Behavioral Based Safety (BBS) programs, and paired with regular routine inspections, these products can be instrumental in preventing accidents related to powered industrial trucks and machine guarding by fostering a culture of safety and vigilance.
Data-Driven Insights: Dakota Software's Business Intelligence platform management product transforms EHS data into actionable insights, allowing manufacturers to identify trends, pinpoint risk areas, and make informed decisions to mitigate hazards, particularly in hazard communication and respiratory protection.
Embracing a proactive safety culture, underpinned by Dakota Software's comprehensive solutions, manufacturers can address the root causes of violations, enhance safety protocols, and ensure a safer, more compliant working environment.
For safety professionals, operations managers, and anyone committed to advancing workplace safety in manufacturing, exploring Dakota Software's solutions can be an important first step towards a safer, more compliant future. Visit our Video Demo Library to learn how our solutions can arm your EHS leaders with the tools and insights to meet and exceed safety standards.
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