LLast month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced its top workplace safety standards for fiscal year 2025, and for the 15th consecutive year, Fall Protection – General Requirements topped the list. Preliminary data revealed during the 2025 NSC Safety Congress & Expo highlights ongoing compliance issues and the need for stronger safety efforts across all industries.
The top 10 most commonly cited workplace safety standards are:
- Fall Protection – General Requirements: 5,914 violations
- Hazard communication: 2,546 violations
- Ladders: 2,405 violations
- Lockout/Tagout: 2,177 violations
- Respiratory protection: 1,953 violations
- Fall Protection Training Requirements: 1,907 violations
- Scaffolding: 1,905 violations
- Powered industrial trucks: 1,826 violations
- Personal protective and life-saving equipment – eye and face protection: 1,665 violations
- Machine protection: 1,239 violations
“While progress has been made in many workplaces, year-over-year consistent citation rankings signal that there is still more work to do,” commented Lorraine Martin, CEO of NSC. “The safety community must redouble our efforts to better protect workers and save lives. We can do this through robust training, updated metrics, identifying high hazards and implementing controls, as well as employee engagement and leadership accountability.”
Repeated security violations: breaking the vicious circle
Year after year, the same workplace safety violations appear on OSHA's top 10 list. Facility manager asked Duane Duhamel, Corporate HSE Director at ISN, why companies are struggling to break this cycle and how they can create positive change.
Facility Executive: Why do you think companies find it difficult to break this vicious circle?
Duhamel: Fall protection, which has been at the top of the list for several years, continues to be a problem in high-risk industries. Many of these violations occur when prevention strategies are not implemented correctly, including the lack of a verified fall protection program and individual worker training. Improving consistent safety practices, implementing a training program and increasing accountability on construction sites are key to breaking this vicious cycle.
FE: In your experience, what are the biggest barriers preventing organizations from adapting to past security incidents?
Duhamel: There are a variety of reasons why organizations may have difficulty recovering from past security incidents. One is the continued growth and reliance on outsourced workforces, such as contractors and subcontractors, who may undertake tasks that are, by their nature, high risk. Differences in company culture, training programs, and overall employee competency, combined with high turnover, can lead to inconsistencies and increase the risk of serious injury or death. Additionally, repeated events are often due to a misplaced confidence in workplace health and safety programs and a failure to thoroughly investigate and adapt to previous incidents.
FE: How can organizations use historical injury and violation data to prevent future accidents?
Duhamel: Although past injury and noncompliance data is not indicative of future incidents, organizations must use this information to strengthen their overall risk management process. A detailed approach to investigating injuries, near misses, inspections, observations and test results while prioritizing hazard identification and improving safety culture can help prevent future events.
Duane leads ISN's HSE RAVS® and enterprise security teams. He brings over 22 years of HSEQ, sustainability and contractor management experience in the utilities, chemicals, manufacturing, aerospace and energy sectors. Duane holds a master's degree in business administration and occupational health and safety and is an active member of the Leading Indicators Workgroup of ASSP, NSC and INGAA.
FE: What role should leadership play in taking responsibility for safety and preventing recurring breaches?
Duhamel: Data shows that employees model the behavior of their management teams – which is why creating a safe and healthy work environment starts with leadership. Effective leaders can help take responsibility for workplace safety by fostering a “no blame” culture and supporting employees through active listening and quick action. Leadership can also empower teams to champion safety initiatives and maintain a visible presence on construction sites to engage directly with the workforce.
FE: Are there any specific training programs or preventive measures that have been proven effective in reducing risks such as falls, ladder accidents, or lockout/tagout errors?
Duhamel: There are several fall protection, ladder safety, and lockout/tagout training programs that focus on hazard awareness and recognition through the use of the energy wheel. Many of OSHA's top 10 violations are directly related to exposure to high energy, such as gravity (falls), chemicals (hazard communication), and mechanical, electrical, or pressure exposure (lockout/tagout). While training is an important element of risk reduction, implementing more targeted, direct controls to mitigate hazards is critical. Examples of these controls include guardrail systems, fall protection devices, enclosed ladders, and machine guards.
FE: How can companies move from simply adhering to safety regulations to a proactive culture that prevents serious injuries and deaths?
Duhamel: Building a safer construction site starts with a shared expectation that everyone has the right and responsibility to stop work if something doesn't feel safe. Giving crews the opportunity to speak up without fear of blame can be one of the most effective ways to prevent serious incidents before they happen. When workers feel their voices are heard, it contributes to a stronger safety culture. Ultimately, a strong safety culture is built from the ground up but is sustained when leadership listens, responds and leads consistently. This proactive security mentality cannot be mandated – it should be modeled and reinforced as part of the company's overall culture.