Every September, OSHA releases its annual list of the ten most frequently cited workplace safety standards. Every September, the same standards appear. And every September, the same articles rehash the list without asking the question that actually matters: why aren't the numbers going down?
In fiscal year 2025, OSHA issued 13,796 citations across the top 10 standards. That is a 5.6% decrease from FY2024, which itself was down roughly 10% from FY2023. The overall trend is positive. But when you look at where the numbers dropped and where they didn't, a more interesting story emerges, particularly for general industry and manufacturing facilities.
## The Full List: FY2025 vs. FY2024
| Rank (FY2025) | Standard | FY2025 Citations | FY2024 Citations | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall Protection — General Requirements (1926.501) | 5,914 | 6,307 | -6.2% |
| 2 | Hazard Communication (1910.1200) | 2,546 | ~2,600 | ~-2% |
| 3 | Ladders (1926.1053) | 2,405 | 2,681 | -10.3% |
| 4 | Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) | 2,177 | 2,443 | -10.9% |
| 5 | Respiratory Protection (1910.134) | 1,953 | 2,470 | -20.9% |
| 6 | Fall Protection — Training (1926.503) | 1,907 | ~2,000 | ~-5% |
| 7 | Scaffolding (1926.451) | 1,905 | ~2,050 | ~-7% |
| 8 | Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178) | 1,826 | 2,248 | -18.8% |
| 9 | Eye and Face Protection (1926.102) | 1,665 | 1,873 | -11.1% |
| 10 | Machine Guarding (1910.212) | 1,239 | ~1,300 | ~-5% |
Fall protection has held the number one position for fifteen consecutive years. That isn't likely to change. But the movement within the rest of the list is worth paying attention to.
## What Actually Changed This Year
The headline is the 5.6% overall decrease. That sounds like progress, and in some areas it is. But three shifts in the FY2025 data stand out.
**Lockout/tagout moved from #3 to #4.** LOTO citations dropped from 2,443 to 2,177, a decrease of about 11%. On the surface that looks like improvement. But context matters. In FY2023, LOTO generated 2,532 citations and $20.7 million in penalties, which was a 29% spike from the year before. The FY2025 number is still higher than pre-pandemic levels. The standard remains firmly in the top five, and OSHA renewed its National Emphasis Program on Amputations in Manufacturing for another five years, which specifically targets lockout/tagout and machine guarding compliance.
**Respiratory protection dropped the most.** Citations fell roughly 21%, from 2,470 to 1,953. This likely reflects the unwinding of heightened enforcement from COVID-era respiratory protection focus rather than a fundamental improvement in compliance.
**Powered industrial trucks saw the second-largest drop.** Forklift-related citations decreased nearly 19%, from 2,248 to 1,826. This could indicate that the forklift operator certification requirements that took effect in recent years are starting to show results.
The construction standards (fall protection, ladders, scaffolding) all declined, consistent with the overall trend of fewer total inspections and citations year over year. The key takeaway for manufacturing and general industry facilities: the standards that affect you directly — lockout/tagout, hazard communication, machine guarding, powered industrial trucks, and respiratory protection — still account for thousands of citations and millions in penalties annually.
## The Four Standards Every Manufacturer Should Watch
If you operate a manufacturing or processing facility, four of the top 10 standards apply directly to your operations and your workforce. Here is what you need to know about each one.
### Lockout/Tagout — 1910.147 (2,177 citations)
LOTO has appeared on the top 10 list for more than a decade. The standard was published in 1989 and has not been materially updated since. The most common citation isn't a worker forgetting to apply a lock. It is the company not having a written, machine-specific energy control procedure in the first place.
The three most-cited subsections in recent enforcement data are energy control procedures at (c)(4), training and communication at (c)(7), and periodic inspections at (c)(6). Missing documentation, inadequate training records, and skipped annual inspections drive the majority of violations. (For the full subsection breakdown, see our guide on [what is lockout/tagout](https://www.zentri.cc/resources/blog/what-is-lockouttagout-the-2026-guide-to-loto-compliance).)
In November 2025, Taylor Farms in New Jersey was fined $1.1 million after a worker was killed during sanitation activities on equipment that had not been properly locked out. The facility had a history of amputations dating back to 2015.
Maximum penalties in 2025: $16,550 per serious violation, $165,514 per willful or repeated violation.
### Hazard Communication — 1910.1200 (2,546 citations)
HazCom is the most-cited general industry standard. Violations typically involve missing or outdated safety data sheets, inadequate labelling of secondary containers, and insufficient employee training on chemical hazards. For manufacturers handling any chemicals, solvents, or cleaning agents, this standard applies to nearly every facility.
### Machine Guarding — 1910.212 (1,239 citations)
Machine guarding rounds out the top 10, but its citation count understates its severity. Guarding violations frequently result in amputations, which trigger mandatory OSHA reporting and often lead to follow-up inspections that uncover additional violations, including lockout/tagout deficiencies. OSHA's renewed National Emphasis Program on Amputations in Manufacturing specifically targets both machine guarding and LOTO compliance during scheduled inspections.
### Powered Industrial Trucks — 1910.178 (1,826 citations)
Forklift safety remains a persistent issue in warehousing and manufacturing. Common citations include operators without valid certification, missing pre-shift inspections, and inadequate pedestrian safety measures. The 19% drop in citations is encouraging, but the standard still generated over 1,800 violations.
## What This Means for Your Compliance Programme
The top 10 list hasn't fundamentally changed in years. The same standards appear, the same types of violations get cited, and the same facilities get caught unprepared. But there are patterns in the data that point to where enforcement is heading.
**Documentation is the gap.** Across lockout/tagout, hazard communication, and machine guarding, the most common violations involve missing or inadequate written procedures, not the physical act of non-compliance on the floor. If your procedures exist only in binders that haven't been updated in two years, you are exposed.
**Training records matter as much as training.** OSHA doesn't just ask whether you trained employees. They ask you to prove it. For LOTO specifically, training must be differentiated across authorised, affected, and other employees, and retraining must be documented whenever jobs, machines, or procedures change. (We break this down in [how to prove LOTO training compliance during an OSHA audit](https://www.zentri.cc/resources/blog/how-to-prove-loto-training-compliance-during-an-osha-audit).)
**Annual inspections are non-negotiable.** Periodic inspection of energy control procedures is one of the most commonly skipped requirements, and one of the easiest for an OSHA inspector to check. If you cannot produce inspection records on request, you are likely to receive a citation. (Our [LOTO audit compliance checklist](https://www.zentri.cc/resources/blog/how-to-prepare-for-a-loto-audit-compliance-checklist) covers exactly what needs to be documented.)
**Digital systems close the gap.** The facilities that consistently avoid citations tend to be the ones that have moved beyond paper-based safety programmes. Digital systems provide real-time access to current procedures, automated training tracking, and audit trails that satisfy OSHA without a scramble. Platforms like Zentri are purpose-built for this, keeping LOTO procedures, training records, and inspection documentation in one system that stays current as equipment and personnel change.
## The Bottom Line
The OSHA top 10 list is not surprising. It hasn't been surprising in years. What is surprising is how many facilities continue to be cited for the same documentation, training, and inspection gaps that have appeared on this list for over a decade.
The penalties are climbing. The National Emphasis Program on Amputations means more scheduled inspections targeting lockout/tagout and machine guarding. And the enforcement data makes clear that the majority of violations are programmatic, meaning they are about the system, not the individual worker.
If your safety programme is built on paper binders and annual refreshers, the top 10 list is telling you exactly where your risk is.
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*See how Zentri helps manufacturing teams stay ahead of LOTO compliance with digital procedures, automated training tracking, and real-time audit trails. [Request a demo.](https://www.zentri.cc/demo)*
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