OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2026: Audit Yourself Before OSHA Does | Risk Matrix Episode 159
Risk Matrix #159: OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2026: Audit Yourself Before OSHA Does
“Audit yourself before somebody else does, because some of these are really easy to fix.”
OSHA’s most frequently cited violations rarely change. Fall protection continues to top the list. So why are organizations still getting cited for hazards that safety professionals already know how to prevent?
In episode 159 Dr. Logan F. Martin and James Junkin examine OSHA’s most frequently cited violations for fiscal year 2026 and explain how safety professionals can use citation data to prepare for inspections, identify serious injury and fatality (SIF) risks, and strengthen their safety management systems.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- OSHA’s Top 10 is a starting point for inspection preparation. The most frequently cited standards provide a practical way to evaluate workplace compliance before an inspector arrives. James recommends reviewing the list to identify applicable hazards, verify compliance documentation, and assess whether routine inspections and employee training address the violations OSHA routinely finds.
- Familiar hazards continue to create serious risks. Fall protection, hazard communication, ladder safety, and machine guarding remain among OSHA’s most frequently cited violations. Dr. Martin and James discuss how missing safeguards, improperly labeled chemicals, damaged equipment, and unsafe practices that have become routine can expose workers to preventable injuries. Recognizing a hazard is not the same as controlling it.
- Reducing serious injuries and fatalities starts with addressing known gaps. Many of OSHA’s most frequently cited violations involve hazards with serious injury and fatality potential. From fall protection and machine guarding to lockout/tagout procedures, the hosts emphasize the importance of planning work safely, providing effective training, and verifying that protective measures are actually being implemented.
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