OSHA Information & Updates

Top Five Safety Violations Of 2025

  • #1 - Fall Protection - 5,914 citations

    Failure to provide adequate fall protection remains the number one violation. The majority of citations occur in construction, where unprotected edges, improper use of guardrails, and unsafe scaffolding practices put workers at serious risk.

  • #2 - Hazard Communication - 2,546 citations

    Employers were cited for lacking written hazard communication programs, failing to train employees, or not properly labeling containers of hazardous chemicals. This gap directly impacts worker awareness and safety in manufacturing, healthcare, and chemical industries.

  • #3 - Ladders - 2,405 citations

    Misuse of ladders and failure to meet ladder safety standards continue to drive incidents, especially in construction and maintenance.

  • #4 - Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) - 2,177 citations

    OSHA repeatedly finds employers not following proper lockout/tagout procedures, exposing workers to dangerous releases of energy during equipment servicing.

  • #5 - Respiratory Protection - 1,953 citations

    Employers were cited for not implementing respiratory protection programs or failing to ensure fit testing and training, particularly in sectors with dust, fumes, or airborne hazards.

~ Click here for more OSHA violations.

Current OSHA Amendments

  • #1 - Communication Tower Safety
    Spring 2025
    RIN 1218-AC90

    After a spike in fatalities associated with work on communication towers, in 2015, OSHA published a Request for Information (RFI) to collect information about the nature and causes of these fatalities, how they could be best prevented, and whether a new OSHA standard specific to this work environment was needed. OSHA also convened a Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) panel to asses how to best address associated safety and health concerns. To the extent a new standard or changes to existing OSHA safety standards are needed to address these hazards, this rulemaking will implement the necessary regulatory requirements.

  • #2 - Lock-Out/Tag-Out Update
    Spring 2025
    RIN 1218-AD00

    Recent technological advancements that employ computer-based controls of hazardous energy (e.g., mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, chemical, and radiation) conflict with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) existing lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) standard. The use of these computer-based controls has become more prevalent as equipment manufacturers modernize their designs to increase productivity. Additionally, National Consensus Standards have evolved, and international approaches to the use of computer-based controls are increasingly recognized. In light of these advancements, there is a need to modernize United States regulations to better align with current technologies, ensuring improved safety effectiveness and, indirectly, potential benefits such as increased operational efficiency. OSHA issued a Request for Information (RFI) in May 2019 to understand the strengths and limitations of this new technology, as well as potential impacts on worker safety.

  • #3 - Welding in Construction Confined Spaces
    Spring 2025
    RIN 1218-AD23

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing to amend the Welding and Cutting Standard in construction to eliminate any perceived ambiguity about the definition of "confined space" that applies to welding activities in construction. This revision will make it clearer and easier to understand what the standard requires and will reduce burdens on the regulatory community by including deregulatory language to allow the use of "natural ventilation" when certain conditions and criteria are met. On May 4, 2015, when OSHA published the final rule for Confined Spaces in Construction, a new subpart was added to provide protections to employees working in confined spaces in construction. This new subpart replaced OSHA's one training requirement for confined space work with a comprehensive standard that includes a permit program designed to protect employees from exposure to many hazards associated with work in confined spaces, including atmospheric and physical hazards. The explanation of the final rule also discusses in detail how the Welding and Cutting Standard in Construction works together with the confined spaces standard regarding the application of their respective requirements. Although the confined spaces standard states that it encompasses welding activities, the welding standard itself does not expressly identify a definition of "confined space."

  • #4 - Walking-Working Surfaces
    Spring 2025
    RIN 1218-AD28

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has received feedback from stakeholders indicating that several regulatory provisions of the 2016 final rule on Walking-Working Surfaces (81 FR 82494) are unclear. The agency plans to correct a formatting error in Table D-2 and also revise the language of the requirements for stair rail systems to make them clearer and reflect OSHA's original intent. OSHA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in 2021 and now intends to re-open the rulemaking record.

  • #5 - OSHA Standards Improvement Project 2025
    Spring 2025
    RIN 1218-AD49

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA)OSHA's Standards Improvement Projects (SIPs) are intended to remove, modernize, or narrow duplicative, unnecessary, or overly burdensome regulatory provisions. The project examines multiple standards covering general industry, as well as maritime, construction, and agricultural industries. These actions will be deregulatory and / or burden reducing to covered employers. This rulemaking is consistent with the intent of Executive Order 14219 (Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficient Deregulatory Initiative) because the agency has good cause to believe that the existing regulations significantly and unjustifiably impede technological innovation and economic development. By modernizing the existing regulations, OSHA will allow increased productivity and reduce the regulatory burden on employers.

~ Click here for more OSHA amendments.

Workplace Mandates

  • Mandate 1

    Safety Monitoring

    Safety monitoring is essential on active construction sites to help identify hazards and prevent incidents. At the same time, monitoring practices should not create unnecessary stress or distraction for workers.

    Safety observers should maintain a professional presence that supports safe work practices while avoiding excessive or intrusive scrutiny that may interfere with a worker's concentration. Continuous close observation should be used only when required by the task's risk level, such as high-hazard operations or identified safety concerns.

    As a general practice, prolonged uninterrupted close observation beyond approximately six (6) minutes at a time should be avoided during routine, low-risk tasks unless active hazards require continuous monitoring. When longer oversight is necessary, observers should adjust positioning, reduce perceived pressure on the worker, or rotate observation duties among qualified personnel to maintain effectiveness without creating undue distraction.

    Safety personnel must always remain immediately available to respond to hazards or unsafe conditions, regardless of observation method or frequency.

  • Mandate 2

    Chin Strapped Hard Hats Requirements

    All employees, subcontractors, and visitors on the active construction site are required to wear an approved hard hat equipped with a properly secured chin strap at all times within designated hard hat areas.

    Hard hats without a chin strap, or with the chin strap left unfastened, are not permitted unless specifically authorized by the Site Safety Manager for a task or work area where an alternative is approved.

    The hard hat must:

    • Be in good condition and free from cracks, dents, or other damage.

    • Be properly adjusted to fit the wearer.

    • Have the chin strap fastened securely under the chin whenever the hard hat is worn.

    • Be worn with the bill facing forward unless the manufacturer specifically approves reverse wear.

    The following are prohibited:

    • Wearing a hard hat without a chin strap.

    • Wearing a hard hat with the chin strap unfastened or hanging loose.

    • Modifying, drilling, painting, or altering the hard hat in any way that could reduce its protective performance.

    • Wearing damaged or expired hard hats.

    Supervisors are responsible for enforcing this policy. Personnel who fail to wear a hard hat with the chin strap properly fastened will be removed from the work area until they are in compliance. Repeated violations may result in disciplinary action in accordance with company policy.

  • Mandate 3

    Safety Vests Requirements

    All employees, subcontractors, and visitors on the active construction site are required to wear a high-visibility safety vest at all times while working or walking within designated work areas.

    High-visibility safety T-shirts are not permitted as a substitute for a safety vest unless specifically authorized by the Site Safety Manager for a particular task or work area.

    The safety vest must:

    • Meet the required visibility standard for the job site.

    • Be worn over all outer garments and remain fully visible.

    • Be clean, in good condition, and properly fastened while on site.

    The following are prohibited:

    • Wearing only a high-visibility T-shirt in place of the required safety vest.

    • Wearing damaged, faded, or excessively soiled safety vests that reduce visibility.

    • Covering the safety vest with clothing or equipment that obscures its reflective material.

    Supervisors are responsible for enforcing this policy. Personnel not wearing the required safety vest will be subject to removal from the work area until they are in compliance. Repeated violations may result in disciplinary action in accordance with company policy.

  • Mandate 4

    Steel-Toed Boots Requirements

    All employees, subcontractors, visitors, and other personnel entering the construction job site are required to wear approved steel-toed or composite-toed safety boots that meet applicable safety standards (such as ASTM F2413).

    Approved Safety Boots Must:

    • Be worn at all times while on the active construction site.

    • Be in good condition and provide adequate ankle support.

    • Have slip-resistant soles appropriate for the work environment.

    The following footwear is prohibited on the job site:

    • Tennis shoes or athletic shoes

    • Sandals or open-toed footwear

    • Soft-toed work boots

    • Shoes with excessive wear or damage that reduce their protective capability

    Supervisors are responsible for enforcing this policy. Any individual found without the required protective footwear may be denied access to the work site or removed from the site until compliant footwear is obtained. Repeated violations may result in disciplinary action in accordance with company policy.

  • Mandate 5

    Safety Glasses Requirements

    All employees, subcontractors, and visitors are required to wear approved safety glasses with side shields at all times while on the active construction site, regardless of the task being performed.

    Safety glasses must:

    • Meet the applicable ANSI Z87.1 impact-resistance standard.

    • Be equipped with integrated or attached side shields.

    • Be clean, free from cracks or damage, and maintained in good condition.

    • Be worn properly to provide full eye protection.

    The following are prohibited:

    • Entering the active work site without approved safety glasses.

    • Wearing damaged, scratched, or improperly fitting eye protection that reduces visibility or protection.

    • Removing safety glasses while exposed to eye hazards.

    Supervisors are responsible for enforcing this policy. Personnel who fail to wear the required eye protection will be removed from the work area until they are in compliance. Repeated violations may result in disciplinary action in accordance with company policy.

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OSHA Safety News

~ Click here for more OSHA news articles.

OSHA Safety Tips

  • Conduct Ongoing Training

    When new team members start work, run them through your entire safety protocol and get them up to speed with machine and equipment safety. Additionally, conduct regular refresher courses and promptly share safety guidelines that change.

  • Prevent Falls

    Working on a ladder, scaffolding, roof, or other elevated surfaces? Make sure you plan ahead for safety to prevent falls. Include the cost of safety equipment to stop falls in job estimates. Secure the right equipment for the job early and ensure everyone is trained to use it properly.

  • Weather The Heat

    Does your team work outdoors in the elements? Keep them safe from heat exhaustion, illness, and injury by providing water, rest and shade, ample breaks, emergency heat training, and tools to identify heat-related issues.

  • Suit Up In PPE

    Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is "equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses," according to OSHA. It can include gloves, safety glasses and shoes, earplugs or earmuffs, hard hats, respirators, coveralls, vests, or full-body suits, among other items. Get your team suited up for each job with the right safety equipment.

  • Identify Hazards

    Train your team in chemical, physical, and biological hazard identification and resolution. Conduct frequent run-throughs and professional inspections. Look into illnesses and injuries, product storage, equipment hazards, and more.

  • Prepare for Emergencies

    If an emergency like a natural disaster, fire, flood, or intrusion strikes, does your team know what to do, where to go, and how to stay safe? OSHA's Emergency Preparedness and Response pages are filled with tips to help workers and employees across industries respond to emergencies.

  • Keep A First Aid Kit Handy

    OSHA has a requirement that employees are given a safe and healthy workplace that is free of occupational hazards. But that doesn't mean accidents won't happen on the job. Employers are required to have "medical and first aid personnel and supplies commensurate with the hazards of the workplace." Learn what that means for your business and ensure you're meeting necessary guidelines.

~ Read about these OSHA tips and more by clicking here.

OSHA Safety Mindsets

  • Guided Breathing Sessions

    • Sit in a comfortable position and relax your shoulders.
    • Inhale through your nose for a count of four.
    • Hold your breath and count to four.
    • Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of four.
    • Repeat this cycle for 3 to 5 minutes.
    • If you prefer, use a breathing app or guided meditation to help you stay on track.

  • Walking Breaks

    • Leave your workspace and take a 10- to 15-minute walk.
    • Choose a quiet path outdoors or walk a loop through the building.
    • Walk at a steady but relaxed pace.
    • Focus on your steps, breathing or surroundings.
    • Avoid multitasking or checking your phone.

  • Visualization Practice

    • Sit quietly with your eyes closed.
    • Picture a peaceful place, like a forest, a beach or a cozy cabin. Imagine the sights, sounds, smells and textures.
    • Let your thoughts slow down and stay in that scene for a few minutes.

  • Focused Listening Sessions

    • Pair up with a coworker for a quick check-in.
    • One person should talk while the other listens without interrupting. Each person gets about 3 to 5 minutes to share.
    • Focus on listening instead of offering advice.
    • This can help to create a culture of well-being at your workplace.

  • Creative Breaks

    • Take 10 to 15 minutes to do something creative. You might doodle or sketch, color a mandala, write a haiku or play with clay or modeling putty.
    • Choose something light and fun that's not related to work.

  • Nature Moments

    • Look out a window or step outside for a few minutes.
    • Notice the plants, clouds, birds or light patterns.
    • Avoid thinking about work. Just take in the natural details.
    • Take a few moments to stop, focus and notice what your senses are picking up.

  • Intentional Hydration Breaks

    • Set a timer or reminder to drink water every hour or two.
    • Step away from your desk while you drink, if possible.
    • Focus only on drinking, not checking your phone or answering emails.
    • Keep a reusable water bottle nearby as a visual reminder.
~ More OSHA wellness information can be found here.