Using preliminary data, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently revealed its top 10 most frequently cited standards in the 2021 fiscal year. This information is valuable for businesses of all kinds as it helps them identify common exposures that affect their workforce and gives them the information they need to plan their compliance programs. For 2021, the top 10 most cited standards were as follows:

1. Fall Protection—General Requirements: 5,295 violations
2. Respiratory Protection: 2,527 violations
3. Ladders: 2,026 violations
4. Scaffolding: 1,948 violations
5. Hazard Communication: 1,947 violations
6. Lockout/Tagout: 1,698 violations
7. Fall Protection—Training Requirements: 1,666 violations
8. Personal Protective and Life-saving Equipment—Eye and Face Protection: 1,452 violations
9. Powered Industrial Trucks: 1,420 violations
10. Machine Guarding: 1,113 violations

Several standards changed positions from fiscal year 2020. For instance, “Respiratory Protection” moved to number two and “Hazard Communication” dropped to number five from number two. What’s more, “Fall Protection—General Requirements” remained OSHA’s most frequently cited standard for the 11th consecutive fiscal year. Keep in mind that this data is preliminary and may be subject to change.