OSHA Top 10 Most Cited Violations 2025–2026: What the Data Actually Shows

The 10 Most Cited OSHA Violations

Every year, OSHA publishes its list of the most frequently cited workplace safety standards. But the official list only tells part of the story. By analyzing the full OSHA enforcement database—over 5.1 million inspections and 13.1 million violation records—we can see not just which standards are cited most often, but how citation patterns have shifted in recent years and which industries are most affected.

Here are the top 10 most cited OSHA standards based on enforcement data from 2020 through 2025.

Fall Protection Dominates—By a Massive Margin

Fall protection (1926.501) isn’t just the most cited OSHA standard—it accounts for more citations than the next five standards combined. With over 69,000 citations in the 2020–2025 period, fall-related violations represent the single largest category of workplace safety failures in the United States.

Of those 69,166 citations, over 24,500 were classified as "Serious" and 872 as "Willful"—meaning the employer knowingly exposed workers to fall hazards. Willful violations carry penalties up to $161,323 per violation under OSHA’s 2026 penalty structure.

The construction industry (NAICS 23) drives the bulk of fall protection citations, accounting for over 305,000 total OSHA violations in the 2020–2025 period—more than three times any other sector.

Hazard Communication: The Most Common General Industry Violation

While fall protection dominates construction, hazard communication (1910.1200) is the most cited standard in general industry settings. This standard requires employers to maintain Safety Data Sheets, label hazardous chemicals, and train workers on chemical hazards.

With over 23,000 citations in the recent period, HazCom violations span virtually every industry—from manufacturing plants to healthcare facilities to retail operations.

Which Industries Get Cited Most?

OSHA enforcement is heavily concentrated in a few key sectors. Based on violation data from 2020 through 2025, here’s where citations land most often.

OSHA Penalty Amounts in 2026

OSHA adjusts penalty amounts annually for inflation. For 2026, the maximum penalties are the highest they’ve ever been.

These amounts matter because employers with repeat or willful violations face penalties that can quickly reach seven figures.

For a detailed breakdown of current penalty amounts, see our guide to OSHA Penalty Amounts in 2026.

• Other-than-Serious: up to $16,131 per violation
• Serious: up to $16,131 per violation
• Willful or Repeat: up to $161,323 per violation
• Failure to Abate: up to $16,131 per day

How to Check Any Employer’s OSHA Violation History

OSHA’s enforcement data is public record, but the government’s own search tools only cover OSHA inspections—they don’t show whether the same employer also has DOL Wage and Hour violations, NLRB unfair labor practice charges, or SEC filings that reveal a pattern of labor non-compliance.

LaborAudit’s free employer lookup searches across all federal enforcement databases at once. Enter any company name to see their complete enforcement profile across OSHA, WHD, NLRB, SEC EDGAR, and state attorneys general.

Whether you’re an employment lawyer, a safety consultant, or an ESG analyst, cross-agency enforcement data reveals patterns that single-agency lookups miss.

The Cross-Agency Pattern

One of the most significant findings from cross-agency enforcement analysis is that OSHA citations often precede other types of enforcement actions. Employers cited by OSHA are statistically more likely to face WHD wage investigations within 18 months and NLRB unfair labor practice charges within 36 months.

For more on this pattern, see our analysis: The Hidden Pattern: How OSHA Violations Predict NLRB Filings.

Methodology

This analysis is based on OSHA enforcement data covering over 5.1 million inspections and 13.1 million violation records. The 2020–2025 citation counts reflect violations linked to inspections opened on or after January 1, 2020. All data is sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA enforcement database.