Among its many activities, the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) keeps track of every citation and violation and fine it issues in a given year, and then reports its findings at the annual National Safety Council (NSC) event. This year was no exception, and in addition to presenting its Top 10 list of the most frequent violations, David Keeling made his first appearance as head of OSHA at the NSC show (he’s previously appeared at other events this year, of course, including the ASSP Safety26 show this past summer; read our interview with him here).
“Year after year, the OSHA Top 10 reminds us how pervasive preventable workplace hazards remain,” said Lorraine Martin, CEO of the NSC at the 2026 NSC Safety Congress & Expo in Indianapolis, Ind. “Every citation represents an opportunity to identify gaps and strengthen safety practices before a worker is injured. Employers should use these findings to evaluate their workplaces, install critical safeguards, and implement proven solutions that help protect workers and save lives.”
Prent Cline, deputy assistant secretary of OSHA, presented the list at the NSC Safety Congress. The preliminary results are based on federal OSHA data collected from October 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026. (Note: Data collected from state OSHA agencies are not included in the rankings.)
The number one violation, to no one’s surprise, is Fall Protection—General Requirements. In fact, that’s been the number one violation for the past 16 years.
According to Jay Vietas, NSC’s senior director of research, falls are the second leading cause of workplace fatalities, accounting for 844 workers, more than two per day. Four of OSHA’s Top 10 violations are directly tied to falls: Fall Protection—General Requirements; Scaffolding; Ladders; and Fall Protection—Training. (The number one cause of workplace fatalities is transportation incidents, which is not covered by OSHA.)
“We need to do a better job of educating people about the why of workplace safety,” Keeling said, in a keynote address at the event. “It’s not just about regulatory compliance—it’s about convincing people to do the right thing.”
You can see all of the Top 10 in the accompanying slideshow. And if you’re curious, you can also find the five previous annual lists at the links below.
Top 10 OSHA Violations of 2025
Top 10 OSHA Violations of 2024
Top 10 OSHA Violations of 2023
Top 10 OSHA Violations of 2022
Top 10 OSHA Violations of 2021
