by Kory Wells, WorkCompEdge Blog Editor

As reported on several news and blog sites in the past several days, OSHA has recently released its preliminary list of top safety violations for 2009.  As stated in the full release on PRNewsWire, which came from the National Safety Council,

The number of top 10 violations has increased almost 30 percent over the same time period in 2008.

“We appreciate our colleagues at OSHA presenting their new violation data to such a receptive audience,” said National Safety Council President and CEO Janet Froetscher. “The sheer number of violations gives us new resolve in raising awareness about the importance of having sound safety procedures.”

So what’s up with this spike in violations? And will this correlate to an actual increase in workers comp claims in 2009, something we suggested might happen when the global financial meltdown occurred? We’re not saying we told you so…we’re wondering along with you what’s going on. Have layoffs, emotional states, and other fallout from the financial crisis stressed workers to the point of making bad safety decisions? Or have the OSHA inspectors just been especially diligent this year? Regardless of the cause, as Ms. Froestscher points out, clearly there’s a need to mitigate this trend.

So, this is a good time to remind you of the WorkCompEdge Safety Training Center, which allows each of a company’s employees to take web-based video courses on desired subjects, answer a quiz at the end of each course, and, if he or she earns a passing grade, receive a certificate of completion for that subject. With over 40 videos on a diverse set of safety topics, including defensive driving, disaster planning, hazard communication, noise and hearing protection, recordkeeping, and more, it’s sure to have something for everyone – and addresses much of the top 10 list of violations. Here’s the list, along with the related video(s):

1. Scaffolding – 9,093 violations
Scaffold accidents most often result from the planking or support giving way, or from the employee slipping or being struck by a falling object.

See the WorkCompEdge Safety Training Center video Scaffolds in Construction

2. Fall Protection – 6,771 violations
Any time a worker is at a height of four feet or more, the worker is at risk and needs to be protected. Fall protection must be provided at four feet in general industry, five feet in maritime, and six feet in construction.

See the WorkCompEdge Safety Training Center video Fall Protection in Construction

3. Hazard Communication – 6,378 violations
Chemical manufacturers and importers are required to evaluate the hazards of the chemicals they produce or import and prepare labels and safety data sheets to convey the hazard information to their downstream customers.

See the WorkCompEdge Safety Training Center video Hazard Communication. Note that there’s a separate Hazard Communication for Healthcare Workers video.

4. Respiratory Protection – 3,803 violations
Respirators protect workers against insufficient oxygen environments, harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors, and sprays. These hazards may cause cancer, lung impairment, other diseases, or death.

See the WorkCompEdge Safety Training Center video Respiratory Protection

5. Lockout-Tag out – 3,321 violations
“Lockout-Tag out” refers to specific practices and procedures to safeguard employees from the unexpected start up of machinery and equipment, or the release of hazardous energy during service or maintenance activities.

See the WorkCompEdge Safety Training Center video Lockout-Tagout – Authorized Employee

6. Electrical (Wiring) – 3,079 violations
Working with electricity can be dangerous. Engineers, electricians, and other professionals work with electricity directly, including working on overhead lines, cable harnesses, and circuit assemblies. Others, such as office workers and sales people, work with electricity indirectly and may also be exposed to electrical hazards.

This violation is in part addressed in the WorkCompEdge Safety Training Center videos Electrical Safety – Unqualified Worker and Arc Flash Safety

7. Ladders – 3,072 violations
Occupational fatalities caused by falls remain a serious public health problem. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) lists falls as one of the leading causes of traumatic occupational death, accounting for 8% of all occupational fatalities from trauma.

See the WorkCompEdge Safety Training Center videos Slips, Trips, and Falls and Fall Protection in Construction

8. Powered Industrial Trucks – 2,993 violations
Each year, tens of thousands of injuries related to powered industrial trucks (PIT), or forklifts, occur in U.S. workplaces. Many employees are injured when lift trucks are inadvertently driven off loading docks, lifts fall between docks and an unsecured trailer, they are struck by a lift truck, or when they fall while on elevated pallets and tines.

See the WorkCompEdge Safety Training Center videos Forklift Operator Safety and Introduction to Rough Terrain Forklift Safety

9. Electrical (general) – 2,556 violations
See #6.

10. Machine Guarding – 2,364 violations
Any machine part, function, or process that may cause injury must be safeguarded. When the operation of a machine or accidental contact injures the operator or others in the vicinity, the hazards must be eliminated or controlled.

See the WorkCompEdge Safety Training Center video Machine Guarding

Registration for the Safety Training Center is located in the Download and Online Tools section of the “Four” Safety module of WorkCompEdge. There are several other tools there that may also help improve your company’s safety culture and record, including a safety commitment statement, a safety culture survey, a safety measurement tool, and more.

Let us know what you think about the increase in violations this year, and other ideas for addressing this issue.