Risk Management Benefits of Reviewing the OSHA Top 10

Words: Patrick Cunningham

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards serve to keep employers aware of common risks that can have serious consequences. This annual list highlights the most frequently cited violations that inspectors find in workplaces across the nation. It applies to all industries and accounts for hazards that may lead to preventable injuries, illnesses, and deaths.

OSHA Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards
This list can help you identify and fix critical safety gaps. For the most recent fiscal year, the top 10 OSHA hazards are:

  1. Fall Protection (General Requirements)
  2. Hazard Communication
  3. Ladders
  4. Lockout/Tagout – Control of Hazardous Energy
  5. Respiratory Protection
  6. Fall Protection Training Requirements
  7. Scaffolding
  8. Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts)
  9. Eye and Face Protection
  10. Machine Guarding
Take Action
Each year, state and federal OSHA agencies conduct tens of thousands of inspections, assessing hundreds of millions of dollars in fines.2 Compare the OSHA Top 10 list against your own operations and ask how you are addressing these topics. Action items may include:

  • Conducting regular workplace assessments and audits to note high-risk areas and practices.
  • Implementing training and education for employees.
  • Creating a culture of safety and encouraging open communication.
  • Documenting and reviewing risk management policies to track safety training, inspections, incidents, and policy updates to align with OSHA standards.
Addressing the OSHA Top 10 is not just about compliance. It’s about fostering a strong safety culture to help protect your most valuable assets. Connect with a Federated Insurance® marketing representative to learn more and to access helpful OSHA Top 10 risk management resources.

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  1. NSC. OSHA’s Top 10 Safety Violations Show Persistent Risks to Workers. 2025. https://www.nsc.org/newsroom/osha-top-10-safety-violations-show-persistent-risk?srsltid=AfmBOopiKuCztGsZSxjqyBlHyn19Z29jMpKyC1YBgopcfSTAeOUD6-A-. Accessed December 2, 2025.

  2. OSHA. Frequently Cited OSHA Standards. 2025. https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/citedstandard.html. Accessed December 2, 2025.


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