OSHA has released its latest list of the most-violated safety and health standards, and apart from a little shuffling at the top, little has changed. The list, which counted violations occurring from October 2005 through September 2006, was once again topped by the administration’s Scaffolding Standard.

Among rules covering general industry, the Hazard Communication Standard, or HCS, remained the most-violated standard but slipped from second last year to third this year on the overall list behind the Fall Protection Standard.

OSHA's top 10 most violated standards for fiscal year 2006 follow. The list and the number of violations were accurate as of Oct. 13, 2006 – the agency is still finalizing citation totals for the year.
  • Scaffolding – General Requirements (1926.451) with 7,895 violations
  • Duty to Have Fall Protection (1926.501) with 5,746 violations
  • Hazard Communication (1910.1200) with 5,586 violations
  • Respiratory Protection (1910.134) with 3,410 violations
  • Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) with 3,068 violations
  • Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178) with 2,582 violations
  • Electrical--Wiring Methods, Components, and Equipment for General Use (1910.305) with 2,396 violations
  • Machine Guarding--General Requirements (1910.212) with 2,296 violations
  • Ladders (1926.1053) with 2,115 violations
  • Electrical--General Requirements (1910.303) with 1,791 violations