Page 18 - OHS, November/December 2022

OSHA TOP 10
result in an incident. Forklifts can also be too big for the area they’re designed to work in. In this case, employers should take precautions to purchase the correct size forklift.7
Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
The standard to rank number six on the list this year is control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout). This also ranked sixth in FY21, but OSHA reported nearly 300 additional violations for FY22 (1,698 vs 1,977), according to preliminary data.
When employees are servicing equipment or machines, the energy from these machines needs to be controlled. If a machine turns on while someone is fixing or servicing it, it can lead to an injury, like a cut, fracture or amputation, or death.8 How do you avoid injuries like these? OSHA’s standard on controlling hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) 1910.147 lists many requirements. Just a few are addressed below.
Requirements. An energy control program should involve “energy control procedures, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performs any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, start up or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source, and rendered inoperative.”9
LOTO. Another requirement under the standard is lockout/ tagout (LOTO). In section (c)(2) of the standard, OSHA requires lockout to be used “if an energy isolating device is capable of being locked out.” Tagout can be used if the lockout-capable device will still “provide full employee protection” with tagout and if a device cannot be locked out. Employers should also train workers in LOTO. Retraining may also be necessary in some cases.
Scaffolding
Coming in at number five on the list is scaffolding. Although this standard placed fourth last fiscal year, more violations were issued in FY22, 2,058 this year versus 1,948 last year.
According to OSHA, in 2020, 52 workers lost their lives after they fell from scaffolding.10 No matter what industry you’re working in, ensuring standards for scaffolding are followed is essential to worker safety. OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926.451 explains some of the requirements.
According to the standard, “each scaffold and scaffold component must support without failure its own weight and at least 4 times the maximum intended load applied or transmitted to it.”11 The design of the scaffolding needs to incorporate this weight requirement. In addition, the platform must be “at least 18 inches wide,” and a guardrail or personal fall arrest system must be provided to keep workers safe, OSHA says.12 There are circumstances where guardrails are not required, such as when the distance between the platform edge and “the face of the work” are less than 14 inches, according to the standard.
Ladders
Moving down the list this fiscal year is violations for ladders. In FY21, preliminary data showed that 2,026 violations were issued under this standard, 29 CFR 1926.1053. In FY22, OSHA estimates that 2,143 violations were issued.
OSHA’s standard for ladders outlines numerous requirements and proper ways to use ladders, such as:
■ Do not overload the ladder beyond its weight capacity
■ There should be no hazards, like “oil, grease and other slipping hazards,” on the ladder.
■ Any defects on a portable ladder need to be addressed. The ladder should be taken out of service and labeled so workers know to not use it.
■ When climbing up or down the ladder, the worker must face the ladder and hold the ladder with “at least one hand.”13
The standard also outlines requirements for different types of ladders. For example, “non-self-supporting ladders shall be used at an angle such that the horizontal distance from the top support to the foot of the ladder is approximately one-quarter of the working length of the ladder.”14
Respiratory Protection
Third on the list this fiscal year is respiratory protection. From FY21 to FY22, OSHA saw a decrease of over 300 violations, 2,527 versus 2,185, respectively. With this decrease came a change in rank from second to third.
There are many factors that must be taken into account when selecting the proper respiratory protection for workers. Depending on the hazards, your employees may need an air- purifying respirator or an atmosphere-supplying respirator to keep them safe.15 But how do you know what kind of respirator is the best given your work environment? To find this out, OSHA says you will need to:
“Conduct an exposure assessment to determine the type and amount of hazardous exposure, take into account the factors that can influence respirator selection such as job-site and worker characteristics, understand the assigned protection factors and know the various kinds of respirators and their relevant characteristics.”16
Hazard Communication Standard
Violations of the Hazard Communication Standard have drastically increased in the past fiscal year, rising from fifth place in 2021 to second in FY22. A total of 1,947 violations were issued in FY21. This fiscal year, 2,424 violations were handed out by OSHA, a difference of over 400 violations.
Understanding what the Hazard Communication (HazCom) standard requires of businesses and chemical manufacturers is essential. The standard, 1910.1200, includes a myriad of information pertaining to hazard classification, a HazCom program, labels, worker training and trade secrets. It also includes specifics on Safety Data Sheets, or SDSs.
SDSs provide information on chemicals, including hazard identification, first aid measures, storage information and transport information. OSHA’s HazCom standard outlines the requirements for SDSs in the workplace. Under the standard, SDSs are required by employers and companies for each chemical that is used, produced or imported. Each SDS must also include the required 16 sections and be available in English.17
Fall Protection
Finally, placing number one on the list for the 12th year in a row is fall protection. Although the number of violations in this standard has been slowly decreasing in the past years—down from 5,424 violations in fiscal year 2020 to 5,295 in FY21 to 5,260
14 Occupational Health & Safety | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 www.ohsonline.com