Every year, OSHA releases its list of the standards most frequently cited during workplace inspections. The agency’s preliminary fiscal year 2026 Top 10 includes the same standards as 2025, although some changed positions. Fall Protection remains No. 1 for the 16th consecutive fiscal year.
Here’s the preliminary 2026 list:
1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501): 4,041 violations
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 1,961
3. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 1,863
4. Scaffolding (1926.451): 1,725
5. Ladders (1926.1053): 1,659
6. Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 1,608
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 1,379
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503): 1,273
9. Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1,120
10. Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,072
The 10 standards listed remain unchanged from FY 2025; however, some movement has occurred. Scaffolding, ranked sixth in FY 2025, climbed to fourth. Ladders fell to fifth from third.
OSHA publishes its Top 10 to alert employers to commonly cited standards so they can identify and correct hazards before an inspection. The agency also points out that workers continue to suffer preventable injuries, illnesses, and deaths related to these hazards.
Which standards apply to your workplace? Are employees receiving required training? Are written programs and procedures current? Are supervisors reinforcing safe practices on the job? And does what happens during a typical workday match what your safety policies say should happen?
Arizona Chapter National Safety Council (ACNSC) offers in-person and online OSHA compliance training to help employers address workplace hazards, meet training requirements, and strengthen their safety programs. ACNSC’s online training catalog includes more than 700 courses, giving employers options for training one employee or an entire workforce.