http://www.mysafetysign.com/Preliminary figures have been released from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) on the Top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards for fiscal year 2013.
Due to the recent government shutdown, an OSHA representative was not available at the 2013 National Safety Congress and Expo held at the McCormick Place in Chicago to discuss the list when it was released.
The list is as follows:
1. Fall protection (1926.501) – 8,241 violations
2. Hazard communication (1910.1200) – 6,156
3. Scaffolding (1926.451) – 5,423
4. Respiratory protection (1910.134) – 3,879
5. Electrical, wiring methods (1910.305) – 3,452
6. Powered industrial trucks (1910.178) – 3,340
7. Ladders (1926.1053) – 3,311
8. Lockout/tagout (1910.147) – 3,254
9. Electrical, general requirements (1910.303) – 2,745
10. Machine guarding (1910.212) – 2,701
Ladder safety should be a high priority for all landscapers when training crews and employees. According to OSHA, employees must be trained to properly use a ladder – this includes safety measures like:
- Maintain three points of contact
- Place the ladder on level footing
- Always face the ladder
- Secure the ladder by locking the metal braces at the center of the ladder
- Don’t overreach
- Don’t walk the ladder
With fall protection as the number one violation for 2013, here are a few resources to help landscapers in safety trainings.
Preventing Ladder Falls
Fall Protection Rules
OSHA’s Fall Prevention Campaign
- PLAN ahead to get the job done safely
- PROVIDE the right equipment
- TRAIN everyone to use the equipment safely
