OSHA’s most frequent citations; new standard for facemasks; results of a workplace training study

OSHA issues top 10 most frequently sited standards

Although multiple standards swapped positions, the Top 10 violations from FY 2019 to FY 2020 did not change. Ladders (1926.1053) climbed to a top-five spot, and Respiratory Protection (1910.134) rose to the third rank from fifth. Additionally, the data show that Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501) is OSHA’s most frequently cited standard for the 10th successive fiscal year.

The Top 10 for FY 2020 are:

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501): 5,424 violations
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 3,199
3. Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2,649
4. Scaffolding (1926.451): 2,538
5. Ladders (1926.1053): 2,129
6. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 2,065
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 1,932
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503): 1,621
9. Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1,369
10. Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,313

ASTM International approves new standard for reusable face masks

– “ATSM International has approved a new standard for reusable face masks.  The committee on personal protective clothing and equipment (F23) developed the standard, which helps establish minimum design, performance, labeling and care requirements for barrier face coverings.  The new standard (F3502) is intended to apply to the general public and workers and includes specific requirements for reusable barrier face coverings including design and general construction criteria, particle filtration efficiency levels, sizing and fit testing criteria, labeling instructions, and guidance on cleaning and recommended periods of use.”  (EHS Today, 19 February 2021).

Workplace safety training survey finds companies struggle with finding effective methods

A new study on ‘The State of Workplace Safety Training’ has found that companies struggle to find time for training and nearly a third can’t verify if their programs are effective.  Even with a company’s best efforts to provide training, over half of responders said they still have employees who don’t follow workplace safety protocols on the floor.  The survey results, released by Intertek Alchemy, shows a comprehensive analysis of methods, effectiveness and deficiencies companies face when it comes to worker safety.  The results show that the biggest workplace safety training challenges were scheduling time for training (59.1 percent), verifying effective training (31.1 percent) and retraining, remediation or refresher training (23.7 percent