A safety violation rarely starts with a major failure. More often, it begins with something small that slowly becomes normal. A missing label. A skipped inspection. A training that gets pushed to later.
Matthew McDaniel, Vice President of First Aid at CITY First Aid and Safety Supplies, sees the pattern all the time: “Companies often face moments in time where they have to make sacrifices and cuts to sustain the company’s financial goals. Many make the mistake of accepting lesser products, cutting investment in vendor-related services, or making staff reductions that have internal oversight of their safety culture. This opens them up for the even more expensive reality of non-compliance and employee injury.”
OSHA’s most recent data reinforces this point. In fiscal year 2025, the same familiar standards once again topped the list of citations. Fall Protection led the list for the fifteenth straight year.
Based on OSHA’s preliminary data presented at the 2025 National Safety Council Safety Congress and Expo, covering October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.
1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501)
The #1 spot again. Missing guardrails, incomplete fall arrest systems, poor tie-off points, or inconsistent use.
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
Labeling, training, and Safety Data Sheets (SDS)—especially when chemicals come from multiple vendors.
3. Ladders (1926.1053)
Improper angle, damaged ladders still in service, standing on top steps, or using the wrong ladder for the task.
4. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
Uncontrolled hazardous energy during maintenance/clearing jams—often due to shortcuts or unclear procedures.
5. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
Missing medical evaluations, fit testing, training, or using the wrong respirator for the hazard.
6. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503)
Equipment without understanding is a paper shield. Training has to be current, specific, and reinforced.
7. Scaffolding (1926.451)
Incomplete decking, missing guardrails/toeboards, improper access, or not following load ratings.
8. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
Forklift training gaps, unsafe operation, maintenance issues, and facility traffic controls.
9. Eye and Face Protection (1926.102)
PPE not matched to the hazard (or not worn consistently), especially during grinding/cutting/chemical handling.
10. Machine Guarding (1910.212)
Missing guards, bypassed guards, or machines modified without reassessing hazards.
If you’re thinking, “We’ve heard these for years,” you’re right. OSHA’s own FY 2024 Top 10 list is nearly identical, which is exactly the point: the risks are well-known, but execution breaks down in the real world.
Matthew describes it simply. Cost pressure and limited bandwidth create quiet safety debt. When training slips, vendor support is reduced, or adequate personal protective equipment is replaced with what feels good enough, companies are not just risking citations. They are risking injuries that cost far more than prevention.
It’s not enough to have a binder of policies or a one-and-done onboarding video. The organizations that avoid repeat violations tend to do a few things consistently:
• Pick a safety owner for every major hazard area (falls, chemicals, energy control, powered equipment, machine guarding).
• Standardize training (what “good” looks like) and audit behavior (what’s actually happening).
• Make PPE and compliance easy: correct products available, correct sizes stocked, and clear guidance at the point of use.
As Matthew shared, effective programs rely on trusted safety partners, current training certifications, and products aligned with the real risks of the job.
One of the most common surprises during inspections comes from Hazard Communication. Employers are responsible for Safety Data Sheets for every chemical on site, including products brought in by third parties such as cleaners, maintenance vendors, or pest control services.
A practical approach includes:
Requiring Safety Data Sheets with every chemical purchase or delivery
Centralizing access with a digital library and a physical backup binder
Conducting quarterly chemical walk-throughs to verify all products are documented and labeled
Enforcing consistent labeling for secondary containers
For multi-site operations, assigning one Safety Data Sheet owner per location and using a consistent format across sites can reduce risk significantly.
Many organizations care about safety but lack a system.
Matthew defines having a plan as maintaining an active and documented system that identifies hazards, assigns responsibility, trains employees, maintains required equipment and records, and is routinely reviewed and improved.
Here’s a simple way to put that into motion this month:
• Week 1: Walk the site and rank your top 5 hazards (falls, energy, forklifts, chemicals, machine guarding show up constantly).
• Week 2: Verify training status + required documentation (fit tests, ladder/scaffold training, forklift training, LOTO procedures, SDS access).
• Week 3: Fix the “easy but dangerous” gaps (missing labels, damaged ladders, expired first aid supplies, empty eyewash stations, worn PPE).
• Week 4: Add a cadence: monthly mini-audits + quarterly deeper checks with documented follow-up.
Strong safety cultures are built on consistency, not perfection. The companies that stay ahead of OSHA trends usually have two things in place. Clear internal ownership and a trusted partner to help training, supplies, and compliance stay on track over time.
If you need support with personal protective equipment readiness, first aid program management, or aligning supplies and training with real workplace hazards, CITY First Aid and Safety Supplies can help you build a system that is easier to manage and easier to demonstrate during an inspection.
Sources: OSHA’s Top 10 cited standards page (FY 2024) for year-over-year comparison and standard references, and NSC’s report of OSHA’s preliminary FY 2025 Top 10 most frequently cited standards.