Webinar Recap: Tips to Avoid Common and Costly OSHA General Industry Citations 

 “The Usual Suspects: How to Avoid the Five Most Expensive and Frequently Cited Types of General Industry Citations,” attorney Aaron Gelb, who heads the Midwest OSHA practice unit at Conn Maciel Carey, advises employers to prepare for OSHA inspections and ensure compliance by focusing first on the “low-hanging fruit.”  

Employers who understand applicable regulations, frequently conduct internal audits, and take steps to correct standard violations when they are found are much more likely to avoid citations and fines while simultaneously protecting employee health and safety, he said. 

Why It’s Important 

It’s a mistake to think of OSHA citations as fix-it tickets or part of the cost of doing business. In some cases, general industry standard violations are associated with serious injuries, fatalities, or property damage. Citations are costly for companies. Maximum OSHA penalties for serious, other-than-serious, and posting violations are: 

• $16,500 per violation 
• $16,500 per day for failure to abate 
• $165,514 per willful or repeated violation  

Added costs may include legal defense fees, workers’ compensation coverage for work-related injuries and illnesses, lost productivity, reputational damage, and potentially expensive corrective actions that could have been more affordably addressed with early intervention. 

The Top Five Usual Suspects 

Gelb said the five most commonly cited violations of 29 CFF, Part 1910 – General Industry Occupational Health and Safety Standards, in order of frequency, are: 

• Hazard communication (HazCom) 
• Hazardous energy control (lockout-tagout) 
• Machine guarding 
• Powered industrial trucks (forklifts) 
• Respiratory protection 

This applies across all general industry settings, including manufacturing, transportation, logistics, hospitality, and healthcare. “These are all areas where it’s easy to make mistakes with the potential for significant employee health and safety consequences,” Gelb said. “These tend to be the standards that most compliance officers who I know are going to be more aggressive about enforcing.”  

Tips to Avoid HazCom Violations 

According to the most currently available data, OSHA issued 3,236 HazCom standard citations and millions of dollars in penalty assessments in fiscal year 2023, including $3.9 million representing one willful violation and 20 repeat violations for failure to provide written programs. Gelb said employers can avoid violations of 1910-1200 – Hazard Communication by focusing on the following sections: 

• Section e(1): Requiring a written hazard communication program at each covered worksite.  
  
  Tip: Make sure your written program is current and specific for each location. 

• Section h(1): Providing employees with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of their initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced. 
  
  Tip: Inform employees that training is provided specifically for hazard communication. 

• Sections g(1) and g(8): Requiring chemical manufacturers and importers to provide a safety data sheet (SDS) for each hazardous chemical. SDS copies must be easy for employees to access in their workplace – on paper or electronically.  
  
  Tip: Have SDSs at employees’ fingertips. 

• Section f(6)(ii): Providing product identifiers and words, pictures, and/or symbols to convey general information on chemical hazards. 
  
  Tip: Know the contents of every chemical container. 

Tips to Comply With Hazardous Energy Control Standards 

In a previous WorkCare webinar, Gelb did a deep dive into compliance with hazardous energy controls. The regulations (1910.147) primarily focus on lockout-tagout (LOTO) procedures. Common violations, in order of frequency, are: 

• Section 147(c)(4)(i): Machine-specific procedures 
  
  Tip: In writing, state the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques used to control hazardous energy, including detailed steps to shut down, isolate, block, secure, or relieve energy, and to verify a zero-energy state.  

• Section 147(c)(6)(i) Periodic inspections 
  
  Tip: At least every 12 months (with limited exceptions), inspect hazardous energy sources and perform a review with each authorized employee on their related responsibilities. Prepare documents to certify that equipment has been inspected; identify and document employees who were reviewed. 

• Section 147(c)(1): Establishing an energy control program 
  
  Tip: Your written program should explain all relevant operational, occupational health, and safety aspects of LOTO, including minor servicing exceptions. 

• Section 147(c)(7)(i) Providing LOTO training 
  
  Tip: Base training of authorized employees on their specific job duties and exposure risk. Train non-authorized employees on energy control program requirements and procedures intended for their personal protection. 

• Section 147(d): Applying LOTO protective measures 
  
  Tip: Identify effective alternative protective measures such as specially designed tools, remote devices, interlocked barrier guards, local disconnects, and control switches. Gelb said he’s “a big fan of numbering energy sources or having labels on equipment that corresponds to those numbers” to clearly denote where to place locking mechanisms. 

Tips to Comply with Machine Guarding Standards 

Standards contained in 29 CFR 1910, Subpart O – machine guarding and Subpart R – special industries, are closely related to LOTO regulations, requiring employers to take steps to ensure the safe use of specific types of machinery and equipment. Common standard violations include: 

• 212(a)(1): types of guarding​ 
• 212(a)(3)(ii): point of operation ​ 
• 212(b): anchoring fixed machinery​ 
• 215(b)(9): abrasive wheel exposure​ 
• 219(c)(4): rotating shaft ends​ 
• 219(d): pulleys​ 
• 219(e): belts > 7 ft​ 
• 219(f)(3): sprockets and chains 

Tips: Rotating shaft ends can cause serious injuries and fatalities when clothing or hair gets caught in machinery. Preventive measures may include shaving down the size of a shaft end or using non-rotating protective caps. Compliance with safety protocols is also essential in areas with pulleys and conveyor systems in which fingers and hands can get stuck. “Think strategically. Look closely at how your people are using their equipment and where there might be nip points or struck-by hazards,” Gelb said. 

Tips to Comply with Powered Industrial Truck (PIT) Standards 

There were 1,750 serious violations of standard 1910-178 – Powered Industrial Trucks that resulted in citations in fiscal year 2023. Of those, 1,484 were associated with training non-compliance and 47 were repeat violations. More than $13.5 million in civil penalties was assessed.  

Along with training violations, employers were also cited for failure to inspect and take equipment out of service when they had safety defects, misuse of attachments and modifications, and lack of compliance with data plate, load capacity, and lift-stability requirements. “Compliance with this standard requires a lot of vigilance and attention to detail, specifically with regard to training and failing to inspect forklifts before use to take defective vehicles out of service,” Gelb said.  

Tips: Document direct, consistent observation. Routinely audit PIT operations using a safety checklist. Provide classroom and hands-on training with practical demonstrations and observation; follow up with trainees to ensure safe operations. Reassess each certified operator’s skills at least every three years. When deficiencies are noted, provide retraining. Take vehicles out of service when they need repairs. Don’t allow production pressure or shop-made vehicle attachments to compromise safety.  

Tips for Complying with Respiratory Protection Standards 

In FY 2023, OSHA issued 2,498 citations under 29 CFR 1910.134 – Respiratory Protection, including 1,776 serious, 657 other-than-serious, 56 repeat, and nine willful violations, with a total of about $6.5 million in civil penalties assessed. The most commonly cited violations, in order of frequency, were related to failure to provide: 

• Medical evaluations 
• Fit testing 
• A written program 
• Information on voluntary use of respirators (Appendix D) 

Respiratory protection is a detailed standard, compounded by its direct connection to HazCom because it involves the use of personal protective equipment designed for use in specific environments. “You have to know what sort of hazards are present,” Gelb said. 

Tips: Retain industrial hygienists to identify respiratory hazards and recommend controls if you are unsure about workplace exposure risks. Select respirators recommended for current conditions. Your written program must include protocols for medical evaluations, fit testing, and training on proper respirator use, including inspections for defects, routine cleaning, and correct storage. With regard to voluntary use, exercise extra caution. An employee may voluntarily elect to use a respirator they have purchased or used at home without being properly fitted.  

More Quick Tips for Compliance with General Industry Standards 

Wrapping up the webinar, Gelb offered these reminders: 

1. If you are anticipating an OSHA inspection, review your recordable incidents and be prepared to provide evidence of compliance with standards that apply to the most significant hazards in your workplace.  
2. Customize occupational health and safety programs and policies based on existing conditions. “Nothing that is generated by AI, downloaded from the internet, or provided to you by a friend in another company is going to be sufficiently specific to your operations,” he said.  
3. Be disciplined about program administration, including frequent internal audits and use of manager-driven checks and balances. 
4. Comply with all training and retraining requirements to improve safety, prevent injuries, streamline production, and avoid citations. 
5. If your company is subject to an OSHA national emphasis program, double-check to make sure you comply with all aspects of the program. 

How WorkCare Can Help 

WorkCare has more than 40 years of experience helping employers identify workplace health and safety hazards, introduce cost-effective injury prevention solutions, and comply with OSHA standards. Our detail-oriented team of occupational health professionals bases its recommendations on current conditions to support customized approaches that reduce exposure risk and satisfy regulatory requirements. Contact us to learn more.