Every spring, OSHA reveals its top ten citations for the previous year. The stats for 2022 were unsettling to say the least.

OSHA'S TOP 10 VIOLATIONS

NOTE: this article was written in May 2023 based on OSHA’s preliminary stats for 2022. If you’re reading this article later in

the year,Forklift violations weren't the only category with increased citations. Hazard Communication jumped from fifth place

in 2021 to second place in 2022 The number of citations in the top ten increased about 17% overall. This is not to say more

penalties were issued, only that the most common violations were cited more often.

Top 10 OSHA Citations in 2022

00001. Fall Protection - General Requirements (1926.501): 5271 violations 00002. Hazard Communication (1910.1200):

00003. Ladders (1926.1053): 2471 violations 00004. Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2430 violations

00005. Scaffolding (1926.451): 2285 violations 00006. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 2175 violations

00007. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 1922 violations 00008. Fall Protection - Training Requirements: (1926.503):

00009. PPE and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1582 violations 00010. Machine Guarding

If you've been in the industry a long time, you've probably noticed the top ten violations don't change much, they just move around in the ranking. That's why we were so dismayed to see forklifts (classified by OSHA as powered industrial trucks) move from ninth to seventh place. Many of us hoped forklift violations could drop to number ten or fall off the list entirely!Of the 1922 forklift-related citations issued, 74% were classified as serious. This is an official classification described by OSHA as “one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.”