In our last post, we covered the first 4 most commonly cited OSHA violations of 2012, as per their list. Today, we are going to cover the next 3 most commonly cited standards.
6. Powered Industrial Trucks, General Industry (29 CFR 1910.178)
If you are in an industry which uses these trucks, make sure any employee authorized to operate them is properly trained. This standard focuses heavily on training and refreshers for operators. It also focuses on the vehicles themselves; make sure your trucks are up to code, especially after repairs.
5. Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) (29 CFR 1910.147)
This standard makes even the most seasoned safety personnel cringe. It is complicated, time consuming, difficult to monitor, and extremely dangerous. OSHA comes down hard on lockout/tagout violators, serving up hefty fines for noncompliance. If your business is regulated by this standard, you need to be sure your procedures are within guidelines, your safety team understands them, and you are adequately monitoring changes. Employee training is also of crucial importance, because if employees do not understand the meaning of the locks and tags, they will potentially endanger themselves and coworkers.
4. Respiratory Protection, General Industry (29 CFR 1910.134)
Dust masks, respirators, self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and other such devices are all covered by this standard. It sets guidelines regarding fit testing, air quality, exposure limits, testing, and employee training. It also details what is required to be included in a written procedure. Also remember, each device used has its own set of guidelines which must be followed; if you are following the guidelines for dust masks that does not mean your SCBA’s are up to code.
In the third and final post in this series on the most commonly cited OSHA violations, we will be discussing the three most common violations. If you have any questions about the violations listed here, please contact us. If you have anything to add about any of these standards, please leave a comment.
