Each year, OSHA’s top 10 most frequently cited standards underscore many of the same issues across industries, from inadequate fall protection to poor lockout / tagout procedures.
Familiarity can easily breed complacency, especially in a shifting regulatory environment where rules and enforcement could loosen under the new presidential administration. But in our line of work, complacency is quite literally dangerous.
The reality is that OSHA’s top 10 violations from 2024 should serve as a wake-up call for safety professionals. Everyday safety risks are still serious – and so is the need for consistent, proactive action. In this article, I’ll share three takeaways from OSHA’s list to guide and inform your safety strategy in 2025 and beyond.
1. Repeat Violations Point To Systemic Issues That Should Alarm Every Safety Professional
Although the same citations top OSHA’s list year after year, it’s rarely because employers don’t understand the rules in question. The likelier root cause: a break-down of protocols under everyday jobsite conditions.
Consider fall protection, for example, which led the 2024 list for the 14th straight year with over 7,000 citations. Many of those likely came from familiar scenarios. Maybe employees were working at height without harnesses or had inadequate anchor points. Perhaps harnesses were made available – but workers didn't feel confident using one properly.
A similar pattern holds for hazard communication, which ranked second on OSHA’s list for yet another year. Even with written safety data sheets on file, you can imagine employees scrambling to find the right information in a pinch. Or breezing through training modules because they're on a seasonal contract.
Factor in other common pressures – labor shortages, tight production deadlines, etc. – and it’s easy to see how safety standards collapse under stress. But when the same slip-ups happen year in and year out, safety professionals should view it as a sign to reinforce crucial fundamentals. More on how in the next section.
2. View the Top 10 as a List of Blind Spots to Monitor and Correct
Behind each citation is an opportunity to improve training, strengthen supervision, or equip workers more effectively. By digging into your organization’s own inspection and near-miss data, you can identify where those gaps exist before OSHA does. For instance:
● If you’re seeing repeat deficiencies in ladder use or fall protection anchorage, do workers have enough guidance or consistent oversight?
● If workers aren’t following PPE protocols, is the equipment uncomfortable or hard to access?
● If your team keeps missing the mark on hazard communication or lockout / tagout, are there new ways you can reinforce protocols in your safety education?
By asking questions like these, you're one step closer to a proactive safety culture. To go even further…
● Equip frontline leaders with mobile tools to conduct daily walkthroughs and flag recurring issues.
● Use microlearning modules to keep essential safety practices top of mind between formal training sessions (ideally via a mobile app).
● Create real-time dashboards of leading safety indicators (like near-miss reporting rates) to make safety performance visible and measurable.
● Embed safety metrics into performance evaluations for supervisors and other safety personnel.
These strategies will go a long way toward empowering employees to identify, avoid, and correct unsafe behaviors before they turn into serious incidents. But empowerment is only the first step. Visible safety leadership is also key. Be up front about what you’re doing to improve safety culture, and follow up with results. It’s an effective way to build trust among your team. And trust is the cornerstone of any safety culture that’s built to last.
3. Safety Still Matters, No Matter How the Regulatory Winds Blow
The new presidential administration has cast doubt over the future of OSHA and its regulatory reach. But even amidst uncertainty, it’s important for safety professionals to maintain a full-court press when it comes to avoiding the top OSHA violations.
That’s because…
● Penalties are still steep. As of 2025, the fine for a serious OSHA violation is $16,550; willful or repeat violations can exceed $165,000.
● State plans aren’t going away. 22 states and territories operate OSHA-approved plans, many of which go beyond federal minimums in terms of rule scope or enforcement practices
● Your reputation is at stake. Even if OSHA scrutiny softens under the current administration, your clients, insurers, and business partners expect – and often contractually require – strong safety programs that meet federal standards. Your reputation depends in part on avoiding frequent citations and keeping your workers safe.
The bottom line? Whether federal enforcement loosens or tightens, your responsibility to uphold core OSHA standards still remains. It’s the backbone of workplace safety.
When It Comes to Safety, Every Change Matters
It’s important to remember that OSHA’s most cited standards aren’t just what regulators are monitoring – they’re behind a litany of safety incidents. Correcting the trend can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to happen overnight. In fact, even small changes can create compounding improvements over time.
With incremental progress, your team can better avoid violating the most commonly cited standards. The goal: a workplace where employees stay safe, supervisors lead effectively, and safety feels embedded in the culture.
