Is your company at risk for any of the most common OSHA manufacturing safety violations? Find out if your safety program is doing the job.
$15,625.
That’s how much a single manufacturing safety hazard can cost your business in terms of Occupational Health and Safety Administration fines. We’re talking about 5 figures for just one violation of workplace health and safety laws.
The damage to your bottom line doesn’t end there. Once OSHA has discovered a problem, they’ll give you a deadline. If you don’t fix the issue by that deadline, you could face the same penalty every day things go unaddressed, or face multiple penalties if they find the same infraction in multiple instance. Oh, and if OSHA determines that you’ve committed a willful or repeat violation, you could be on the hook for 10 times as much: $156,259.
Ouch. Clearly, OSHA is making sure that manufacturing safety hazards hurt in more ways than one.
By the way, this is only OSHA we’re talking about. Don’t forget about other federal regulators, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, or state plans.
And then there are all the costs beyond penalties. Manufacturers that don’t adequately manage their risks can expect to pay hundreds of thousands—even millions—in indirect expenses such as the following:
- workers’ compensation claims from people who have experienced injuries and illnesses
- lost productivity during and after an incident
- lowered workforce morale due to fear and uncertainty around risk areas
- hours of labor spent identifying and fixing the issue
- expenses of cleaning and replacing equipment and machinery that’s out-of-date, damaged, or broken
- legal and compliance fees
Are you doing everything you can to avoid these expenses?
Is your manufacturing risk management and compliance program adequately keeping your workers safe? Don’t wait until someone else—like an OSHA inspector—finds out for you.
The fastest way to measure the strength of your manufacturing safety program is to determine whether you’re at risk for any of the most common OSHA violations.
The Top 5 OSHA Violations in Manufacturing
In 2022, Manufacturers paid out $54 million dollars in penalties for OSHA violations. Here are the 5 most frequently violated OSHA standards in the manufacturing industry:
Read up on all of the top violations in the
OSHA Top 10 Resource Hub
Let’s run down each of these OSHA standards, their risk factors, and how you can prevent a violation at your manufacturing facility:
1. Lockout Tagout
(AKA The Control of Hazardous Energy)
OSHA definition:
“The OSHA standard for The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout), Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1910.147, addresses the practices and procedures necessary to disable machinery or equipment, thereby preventing the release of hazardous energy while employees perform servicing and maintenance activities. The standard outlines measures for controlling hazardous energies—electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, and other energy sources.” (Source )
Simple definition:
Some machines can seriously injure or kill workers. These machines are dangerous because they are hazardous energy sources—in the form of electricity, steam, chemicals, or another kind of power.
Hazardous energy can be released whether the machine is being used or not. This is why it’s important for dangerous machines to be completely shut off before servicing and maintenance. For example:
- A capacitor that hasn’t been properly disconnected could electrocute someone trying to repair it.
- A hydraulic press that hasn’t been de-energized could crush someone.
- A steam valve that hasn’t been bled out could scald someone.
OSHA’s Control of Hazardous Energy standard, usually called the “Lockout/Tagout” standard (or LOTO for short), outlines what workers should do to safely depower dangerous machines. One of the main steps of lockout/tagout is literally locking the machine in the “off” position and adding a tag with the name of the person who carries the key to the lock.
Signs You’re at Risk of a Lockout/Tagout Violation
- You’re lacking detailed, written procedures for one or more machines.
- You haven’t identified every source of hazardous energy in your workplace.
- You’re using the wrong lockout/tagout devices.
- You’re not following all lockout/tagout steps in the correct order.
- Your machinery is old or high-maintenance.
- Your workforce hasn’t been trained properly or consistently.
- You can’t remember your last lockout/tagout audit.
2. Machine Guarding
OSHA definition:
“Employee exposure to unguarded or inadequately guarded machines is prevalent in many workplaces. Consequently, workers who operate and maintain machinery suffer approximately 18,000 amputations, lacerations, crushing injuries, abrasions, and over 800 deaths per year. Amputation is one of the most severe and crippling types of injuries in the occupational workplace, and often results in permanent disability.” (Source)
Simple definition:
Industrial equipment is dangerous. Machines such as power saws, shears, guillotine cutters, presses, milling machines, fans, conveyor belts, palletisers and revolving drums can slice, crush, and tear off workers’ body parts. Sometimes, hazards are caused by nip points (also called pinch points)—points where one or more parts (such as gears) rotate. In other cases, machines generate sparks or flying chips that can injure workers.
For these reasons, OSHA requires that certain pieces of equipment have specific protection mechanisms in place. This is what’s known as machine guarding. Examples of machine guarding include barriers, light curtains, and two-hand trips.
Machine guarding typically applies to the point of operation—that is, the location on or near the machine where work is performed. However, many machines need to be safeguarded at multiple points. Additionally, there are plenty of instances where OSHA requires or recommends secondary controls, such as alarms and fences.
Signs You’re at Risk of a Machine Guarding Violation
- You have one or more decades-old machines still in operation.
- You haven’t inspected your machines recently.
- You’re relying on user-built safeguards.
- Employees are working close to hazardous machines.
- Employees aren’t well-trained—or you can’t prove that they are.
- Employees are stressed and/or overworked.
3. Hazard Communication
OSHA definition:
“OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is based on a simple concept—that employees have both a need and a right to know the hazards and identities of the chemicals they are exposed to when working. They also need to know what protective measures are available to prevent adverse effects from occurring. OSHA designed the HCS to provide employees with the information they need to know.” (Source)
Simple definition:
The HCS is the way you’re supposed to inform your employees about dangerous chemicals in the workplace. It’s a set of rules that covers labeling and tracking chemicals, as well as employee training on chemicals.
Substances that fall under the HCS include…
- acids
- asbestos
- disinfectants
- glues
- lead, mercury, and other heavy metals
- paints
- pesticides
- petroleum products
- solvents
…and many more. In fact, according to OSHA, “[m]ost chemicals used in the workplace have some hazard potential, and thus will be covered by the rule.” For a full index of chemicals overseen by OSHA, click here.
Under the HCS, the following needs to be in place anywhere workers could be exposed to hazardous substances:
- material safety data sheets (MSDS or SDS for short) for every chemical on the jobsite
- a written hazard communication plan
- comprehensive hazard communication training for all workers who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals
Signs You’re at Risk of a Hazard Communication Violation
- Not all hazardous chemicals are labeled properly.
- You don’t have an adequate written hazard communication plan.
- Your SDS database is incomplete, inaccurate, or out-of-date.
4. Respiratory Protection
OSHA definition:
“In the control of those occupational diseases caused by breathing air contaminated with harmful dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays, or vapors, the primary objective shall be to prevent atmospheric contamination. This shall be accomplished as far as feasible by accepted engineering control measures (for example, enclosure or confinement of the operation, general and local ventilation, and substitution of less toxic materials). When effective engineering controls are not feasible, or while they are being instituted, appropriate respirators shall be used pursuant to this section.” (Source)
Simple definition:
Not all air is safe to breathe. The oxygen in a certain environment may contain hazardous fumes, dust, or other contaminants.
Common airborne contaminants include particulate matter (e.g. silica dust), smoke, gases, mists, vapors, and aerosols. These and other contaminants can cause short- and long-term health problems, such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, impaired thinking, decreased lung capacity, loss of consciousness, and cancer.
OSHA’s respiratory protection standard outlines how organizations should minimize worker exposure to hazardous air. First, the standard requires employers to assess and minimize airborne hazards if possible. But if controlling the environment isn’t possible or doesn’t provide adequate protection, employers must provide their workers with respiratory devices (usually called “respirators”). The standard lays out which respirators to use—and how to use those respirators—in various situations, along with maintenance, inspection, and medical follow-up procedures.
Signs You’re at Risk of Respiratory Protection Violation
- You don’t have a respiratory protection program in place.
- Your employees aren’t using the right respirators for the right jobs.
- You’re not performing required fit testing.
- You’re not providing medical evaluations at no cost to employees.
- You’re not providing respirators at no cost to employees.
- Your employees aren’t properly trained in respirator use.
- Employees exposed to contaminated air are working long hours and/or not taking enough breaks.
5. Forklifts
(AKA Powered Industrial Trucks)
OSHA definition:
“Powered industrial trucks, commonly called forklifts or lift trucks, are used in many industries, primarily to move materials. They can be used to move, raise, lower, or remove large objects or a number of smaller objects on pallets or in boxes, crates, or other containers.
The hazards commonly associated with powered industrial trucks vary depending on the vehicle type and the workplace where the truck is used.
…The best way to protect employees from injury also depends on the type of truck operated and worksite where it is being used.” (Source)
Simple definition:
Forklifts, which OSHA likes to call “powered industrial trucks,” are useful vehicles. Countless businesses rely on forklifts to move large/heavy objects.
However, the things that make forklifts useful also make them dangerous. Accidents happen throughout businesses and industries. Loads can fall and crush people. Forklifts can tip over, injuring drivers and workers nearby. Pedestrians can get hit, which is especially common in workplaces where a lot of people are moving around on foot. These risks vary by industry and kind of forklift being used.
Each type of truck presents different operating hazards. For example, a sit-down, counterbalanced high lift rider truck is more likely than a motorized hand truck to be involved in a falling load accident, because the sit-down rider truck can lift a load much higher than a hand truck. Workplace conditions also present different hazards. For example, retail establishments often face greater challenges than other worksites in maintaining pedestrian safety.
Signs You’re at Risk of a Forklift Safety Violation
- You Work With Numerous Industrial Machines
- Your Employees Aren’t Trained Or Certified
- Forklift Operators Are Driving Recklessly
- Forklifts Aren’t Being Inspected On A Regular Basis
Learn More about Forklift Safety
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