We examine the top Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations in the manufacturing sector for 2024 and how investing in the right technology can help your organization prevent future violations. If you’re like most risk and safety professionals, you keep an eye out for the annual release of the list of the top OSHA violations. You’re probably also subscribed to the OSHA newsletter to receive notifications of major fines and citations. The information can help ensure your organization has the right controls in place — not only to prevent fines and citations, but to protect worker productivity and well-being. Because types of incidents and injuries vary depending on the type of organizations and processes in place, it is also helpful to dig into OSHA violations by sector. While it’s possible to view data from your industry at a granular level based on NAICS code, this blog focuses on the manufacturing sector overall. Top Manufacturing OSHA Violations in 2024 From October 2023 to September 2024, there were more than 16,000 OSHA violations in the manufacturing sector, resulting in penalties exceeding $70 million. The most frequently cited violations were: Control of hazardous energies (lockout/tagout) Respiratory Protection Hazard communication Powered industrial trucks (forklifts) General requirements for all machines (machine guarding) These five categories alone accounted for 42% of total citation counts and 45% of total penalties in the manufacturing sector. Our Take Lockout/Tagout: Manufacturing plants rely on large machinery powered by electrical, mechanical, chemical, and other energy sources. Without proper training and energy control procedures, serious injuries — with an average of 24 work days lost per injured worker — or death can occur. Lockout/tagout functionality in the Process Safety Management module of our EHS solution can help instill proper training and controls to avoid worker exposure to hazardous energies. Respiratory Protection: Exposure to harmful dusts, chemical vapors, and toxic fumes continues to drive OSHA citations in manufacturing. Compliance with respiratory protection standards requires more than just issuing respirators and other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) — it involves medical evaluations, fit testing, and ongoing program oversight. Our purpose-built medical surveillance solution helps organizations track fit testing, manage medical clearances, and maintain up-to-date records. With automated reminders and centralized documentation, safety teams can ensure workers are properly protected and programs remain compliant. Hazard Communication: Chemical management is complex. Relying on outdated systems, spreadsheets, and paper forms for auditing and reporting chemical hazards can be time consuming and lead to mistakes. Safety data sheets (SDSs) and chemical requests — like the rest of your EHS program — can be digitized to make sure all hazards are accounted for while also cutting down on administrative workload. Digitizing your chemical management program means all of your SDSs are in a single, searchable database. General Requirements for All Machines: A common cause of injury on the production line is the absence or failure of machine guards, often resulting in hand and finger injuries. To address this, organizations can implement digital Job Safety Analyses (JSAs) and asset-specific audits. For example, attaching QR codes to individual machines allows workers to quickly access and complete relevant safety checklists via mobile devices. This not only ensures compliance but also reinforces safe operating procedures in real time. Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts): Audit and inspection technology can help educate workers and reduce incidents involving forklifts. The challenge is ensuring audits are consistently performed. When paired with a strong safety culture and relevant training, mobile-friendly and intuitive software can drive implementation and improve safety outcomes. Audits, inspections, and behavior-based safety observations can be conducted via web, mobile, and tablet accessible by any employee or contractor, no matter where they’re working. Investing in technology to build a strong safety culture Building a strong safety culture is about far more than avoiding OSHA violations — it’s making sure your employees go home safe. That’s why investing in the right technology to support hazard identification, risk mitigation, and proactive incident prevention is essential. To learn about how Origami Risk can help your organization protect workers and prevent OSHA violations, explore additional EHS insights or talk to an Origami Risk team member.