OSHA’s Top 5 Most Cited Violations 2018

For the fifth year running, lockout/tagout is among OSHA’s top five most cited sources of workplace safety violations.

According to statistics for the 2018 fiscal year, Lockout/Tagout was ranked #5 in most cited OSHA violations, was also the fifth most common source of ‘serious’ violations, and ranked #2 among ‘willful’ violations issued.

The top 5 most cited violations reported for 2018 were: 1) Fall Protection, 2) Hazard Communication, 3) Scaffolding, 4) Respiratory Protection, and 5) Lockout/Tagout.

Within and among the 2,923 total lockout violations cited in 2018, the top five sections cited were:

1. Procedures shall be developed, documented, and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in the activities covered in section 1910.147(c)(4)(i). [20% of lockout citations referenced this violation.]
2. The employer shall conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirements
3.  of standard 1910.147(c)(6)(i) are being followed. [11.7% of lockout citations referenced this violation.]
4. The employer shall establish a program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training  and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performs any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, startup, or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative. [11.3% of lockout citations referenced this violation.]
5. The employer shall provide training to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program are understood by employees and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of the energy controls are acquired by the employees. [9% of lockout citations referenced this violation.]
6. Affected employees shall be notified by the employer or authorized employee of the application and removal of lockout devices or tagout devices. Notification shall be given before the controls are applied, and after they are removed from the machine or equipment. [6% of lockout citations referenced this violation.]

Martin Technical’s team of industrial safety professionals works every day to promote worker safety and facilitate a culture of safety at facilities around the globe. Our RAPID LOTO™ program is a proprietary system developed by Martin Technical that allows faster and more accurate turnaround time for the development of LOTO (lockout/tagout) procedures and placards.

Rapid LOTO is the most advanced and comprehensive program in the industry. Martin Technical leverages our experience in maintenance and safety with innovative technologies to provide a robust yet easily understood system designed for efficient implementation.

Our professional lockout technicians use Rapid LOTO lockout software and an in-field process to label equipment. Placards are developed and reviewed daily, keeping the information at hand relevant and fresh. Martin Technical takes pride in offering a service that can place lockout placards on your equipment as soon as the next day.

Contact a lockout expert today to see how we can help you institute a written lockout program that will benefit the health of your workers, your machinery, and your business.

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