Fall protection (1926.501) was the most frequently-cited OSHA standard in fiscal year 2013 – specially the period October 2012 through September 2013.

OSHA conducted 7,900 inspections involving the fall protection standards, a very high number compared to almost any other agency rule, and due to the fact OSHA devotes about half of its inspections to construction sites.

Those 7,900 inspections uncovered 8,176 citations. Accounting for multiple citations during one inspection, the agency’s inspectors still conducted few audits where no fall protection violations were found.

Total proposed penalties for the 8,176 citations equaled $20,474,981. That is the proposed penalty amount, which will come down substantially as cases are negotiated and/or contested.

The top industries where fall protection violations were found, in ranking order: construction, wholesale trade, waste management and remediation services, and manufacturing.