Wrapping up our three-part blog series Top 7 Most Frequently Cited OSHA Standards, here, we will point out the last three most frequently cited OSHA violations that round out the top 7 (as of November 2014).

Additional OSHA Standards That Are Commonly Violated by Employers

5 – Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)

When employers violate OSHA standards and put workers at risk, accidents and injuries can happen. Contact us if you’ve been hurt on the job. We can help you.

This frequently violated OSHA standard relates to the safety requirements for any trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines. In addition to applying to industrial trucks, this OSHA standard is also:

• Applicable to fork trucks, tractors, platform life trucks and motorized hand trucks
• Aimed at specifying the necessary design and maintenance requirements, as well as essential fire protections for all applicable vehicles.

Citations for this OSHA standard essential mean that employers are not properly maintaining the applicable work trucks, and these violations can increase the risk of truck accidents, vehicle fires, etc.

6 – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)

This OSHA standard specifically pertains to servicing and maintaining machines or equipment in the workplace. Additionally, this standard sets forth some bottom-line performance requirements for workplace machines and equipment in order to control “hazardous energy.”

Violating this OSHA standard can mean that machines are not being properly “locked out” when essential maintenance is being performed, thereby increasing the risk of entanglements, disfigurement and crushing injuries.

7 – Ladders (1926.1053)

This frequently cited OSHA standard applies to any ladders used in workplaces, including ladders built in the workplace. In addition to dictating maximum loads and acceptable uses of ladders, this OSHA standard specifies standards for portable versus fixed ladders.

Any violations of this standard can mean that employers are needlessly placing their workers at risk of sustaining serious fall injuries (or other injuries due to someone else falling on them).

The Bottom Line: Compliance with OSHA Standards Is Key to Worker Safety

The bottom line is that far too many accidents, injuries and deaths occur in the workplace and that employers should be doing as much as they can to:

• Be in compliance with OSHA standards
• Prevent the risks that can cause workplace accidents and injuries
• Keep their workers’ safe.

Colorado Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at the Law Office of Michael P. Dominick

If you have sustained a workplace injury and are considering (or in the process of) filing a workers’ compensation claim, you cannot rely upon your employer or insurance companies to look out for your best interests. In fact, both your employer and insurance companies will be more focused on their own bottom lines instead of your current and future wellbeing. This can make the system adversarial for injured workers and potentially even put them in situations in which their legitimate workers’ compensation claims are undercut or even flat-out denied.

In such cases, it’s essential that injured workers contact the Colorado workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Office of Michael P. Dominick. Our legal professionals are experienced at going up against corporate lawyers and insurance companies, and we have a proven track record of success when it comes to securing our Clients the maximum possible compensation for their injuries and financial losses.

Contact Us Today

For a thorough evaluation of your case, along with expert advice on the best manner in which to move forward, call us at (303) 447-2644.