Fall protection has topped OSHA’s most cited violations list for 15 consecutive years. The agency announced preliminary data for fiscal year 2025 at the National Safety Council Safety Congress in Denver on September 16, 2025, revealing 5,914 fall protection violations alone. Understanding these common violations and implementing prevention strategies helps organizations protect workers and avoid costly penalties.
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The Top 10 OSHA Violations in 2025
According to the National Safety Council, the most frequently cited workplace safety standards for FY 2025 are:
1. Fall Protection, General Requirements: 5,914 violations
Roofing, framing, and siding contractors account for most citations. Workers face fall hazards from roofs, scaffolds, and unprotected edges.
Prevention: Install guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems at heights above six feet. Conduct daily equipment inspections and train workers on proper harness use.
2. Hazard Communication: 2,546 violations
Employers fail to label chemicals properly, maintain safety data sheets, or train workers on chemical hazards.
Prevention: Maintain a complete chemical inventory, label all containers with hazard warnings, and provide annual training. Centralizing your chemical safety data ensures workers have access to current information when handling materials.
3. Ladders: 2,405 violations
Workers fall from damaged ladders, use ladders incorrectly, or work from unstable positions.
Prevention: Inspect ladders before each use, maintain three points of contact when climbing, and secure ladders at the top and bottom.
4. Lockout/Tagout: 2,177 violations
Workers servicing equipment without proper energy isolation face injuries from unexpected startups. Plastic products manufacturers and machine shops led violations.
Prevention: Develop written procedures for each piece of equipment, train employees on energy isolation methods, and verify zero energy state before maintenance. Digitizing your LOTO procedures helps ensure authorized personnel follow the correct steps every time.
5. Respiratory Protection: 1,953 violations
Employers fail to provide medical evaluations for workers wearing respirators or conduct fit testing.
Prevention: Conduct air quality assessments, select appropriate respirators for specific hazards, and perform annual fit testing. Tracking protective equipment assignments ensures workers have the correct gear and valid certifications.
6. Fall Protection Training: 1,907 violations
Roofing was the leading industry, with the primary cause being failure to provide any training at all.
Prevention: Train workers before performing work at heights. Document all training with dates and topics covered. Managing worker certifications digitally keeps records organized and audit-ready.
7. Scaffolding: 1,905 violations
Masonry, roofing, framing, and siding contractors led violations for unstable platforms and missing guardrails.
Prevention: Have competent persons supervise scaffold assembly. Install guardrails and toe boards on all open sides.
8. Powered Industrial Trucks: 1,826 violations
The leading cause was employers not ensuring workers were trained to operate forklifts.
Prevention: Certify all operators through formal training programs and conduct daily pre-use inspections. Scheduling regular equipment checks catches defects before they cause incidents.
9. Eye and Face Protection: 1,665 violations
Employers fail to assess workplace hazards or provide appropriate eye protection.
Prevention: Conduct hazard assessments for each work area, select eye protection rated for specific hazards, and enforce mandatory protection in designated areas.
10. Machine Guarding: 1,239 violations
Workers suffer amputations and crushing injuries from unguarded machinery.
Prevention: Install guards at the point of operation, pinch points, and rotating parts. Never disable safety guards.
OSHA Penalties in 2025
OSHA penalties increased on January 15, 2025:
- Serious violations: Up to $16,550 per citation
- Willful or repeated violations: Up to $165,514 per offense
- Failure to correct violations: $16,550 per day until compliance
Construction, manufacturing, and warehousing receive the highest citation rates. Companies with incomplete safety programs face the greatest risk.
How to Prevent OSHA Violations
Prevention requires consistent effort across your organization.
Develop Written Safety Programs
Create documented programs covering fall protection, hazard communication, lockout/tagout, and other applicable standards. OSHA requires written programs for many standards and reviews them during inspections.
Conduct Regular Training
New employees need a comprehensive orientation covering job-specific hazards. Annual refresher training reinforces procedures. Document all training sessions with attendee lists and topics covered. Structuring your onboarding process ensures no critical safety topics get missed.
Perform Workplace Inspections
Daily equipment checks catch defects early. Weekly safety walks reveal changing conditions. Monthly management reviews ensure systematic control. Standardizing your inspection checklists improves consistency across sites and shifts.
Identify and Control Hazards
Systematic hazard identification catches risks before they cause injuries. When issues arise, documenting hazards with assigned corrective actions ensures timely resolution and accountability.
Investigate Near Misses and Incidents
Near misses reveal hazards that could cause serious injuries. When incidents occur, conducting thorough investigations and identifying root causes prevents recurrence.
Conclusion
The 2025 OSHA Top 10 list reveals that familiar hazards continue affecting workplaces across industries. Most violation categories saw declines from 2024, showing that progress is possible when organizations commit to proactive safety programs.
Start with your highest-risk areas. Review current safety programs against the top 10 violations, identify gaps, and implement tools that make compliance manageable. Knowella’s Health & Safety Management solution helps organizations digitize reporting, track corrective actions, and maintain audit-ready records from a single platform.
