Employers must provide a safe workplace under federal and state laws, but as many workers will tell you, companies don’t always follow these laws. There are many reasons for this, from simple oversight to ignorance of safety regulations to more insidious reasons like cutting corners to save money on routine maintenance and inspection of facility systems, structures, and equipment.
This list highlights 2018’s most frequently cited workplace safety violations.
Falls
Although falls are a leading cause of fatalities and serious injuries in many sectors, appropriate fall protection procedures and equipment use are not always followed at every worksite. According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers must protect workers from falling from platforms, elevated workstations or into holes in the floor and walls.
Toxic Chemicals
Gas and chemical leaks are the most common problems, though asbestos continues to plague older facilities. It is now mandated that natural gas have some sort of odor so that it is more easily detected, but it is still a deadly problem in many facilities today. OSHA will soon require that some types of facilities have detectors for carbon monoxide.
Training Saves Lives
Safety training is vital and teaches workers important procedures and work habits to stop potential dangers in the workplace from becoming real-life tragedies.
If you would like to know more about workplace safety violations and how to avoid them, contact MaintenX today.
