Graphic Products Releases OSHA’s Top 10 Safety Violations for 2013

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Graphic Products, Inc.

Dec 19, 2013, 10:40 ET

Portland, OR (PRWEB) December 19, 2013 -- Because the “usual suspects” tend to populate the list every year, it’s clear that more work needs to be done to generate safety awareness in those categories. Violations of each of the top 10 most cited standards for FY 2013 (Oct. 1, 2012 to Sept. 30, 2013):

1) Fall Protection (1926.501): 8,241violations
2) Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 6,156 violations
3) Scaffolding (1926.451): 5,423 violations
4) Respiratory protection (1910.134): 3,879 violations
5) Electrical, wiring methods (1910.305): 3,452 violations
6) Powered industrial trucks (1910.178): 3,340 violations
7) Ladders (1926.1053): 3,311 violations
8) Lockout/tagout (1910.147): 3,254 violations
9) Electrical, general requirements (1910.303): 2,745 violations
10) Machine guarding (1910.212): 2,701 violations

Here are ten ways to prevent becoming next year’s statistic:

Fall protection: Fall protection, according to OSHA, should be provided at elevations of four feet in general industry workplaces, five feet in shipyards, six feet in the construction industry and eight feet in long shoring operations.

Hazard communication: The adoption of the GHS-aligned HazCom 2012 standard means a lot of big changes, so read the rule in its entirety. For more information on this topic, request our free HCS/HazCom 2012 Labeling Best Practice Guide.

Scaffolding (construction): Workers must have proper fall protection when working on raised surfaces.

Respiratory protection: Companies must provide appropriate respirators to employees as part of a respiratory protection program.

Ladders: Common issues include non-parallel positioning relative to landings, too much or too little space between rungs, inadequate landing size and ladder bases more than 12 inches off the ground.

Machine guarding: Machine guards protect workers’ limbs, skin and eyes from nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks. “All saws, jointers and milling machines need machine guards,” explained Gary Michael, The Joinery. “We post shop safety policies on the machine guards, using brightly colored signs and labels.”

Powered industrial trucks: Ensure that forklifts and other industrial trucks are in top mechanical order. Operators must be trained and certified to operate vehicles safely.

Electrical wiring methods: Trust wiring to licensed, bonded electricians. Use caution with extension cords.

Lockout/tagout: Machinery or equipment can unexpectedly energize, start up or release stored energy. Use professional-grade lockout and tagout supplies.

Electrical general requirements: Avoid consumer-rated appliances for commercial work environments.

Graphic Products carries thermal transfer printers for every application, free technical support, and a five-year warranty on labels made with premium vinyl. Graphic Products is The Global Leader in Workplace Labeling & Signage. For more information, visit http://www.graphicproducts.com, email jarubinger(at)graphicproducts(dot)com or call 800.788.5572, ext. 3024.

Jack Rubinger, Graphic Products, Inc., http://www.GraphicProducts.com, +1 (503) 469-3024, [email protected]