OSHA’s fiscal 2026 list highlights familiar hazards, but the compliance problems behind the numbers offer employers a roadmap for finding weaknesses in their own safety programs.

When OSHA unveiled its preliminary fiscal year 2026 list of the 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo in September, there were few surprises at the top.

Fall Protection — General Requirements remained No. 1 for the 16th consecutive year, with 4,041 violations. Hazard Communication ranked second with 1,961 violations, followed by Control of Hazardous Energy, commonly known as lockout/tagout, with 1,863.

But the value of OSHA’s Top 10 extends beyond the rankings.

During the presentation, Prent Cline, acting deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, provided a closer look at the conditions inspectors are encountering in workplaces and why some of the same deficiencies continue to appear.

Many of the employers OSHA inspects are small and midsize organizations, Cline noted, and some simply do not fully understand the requirements. Even experienced safety professionals, however, can face complicated compliance questions.

And while the mix of industries OSHA inspects changes, the underlying problems remain remarkably persistent.

“These are all issues that seem to crop up again and again,” Cline said.

Here is what OSHA saw behind the fiscal 2026 Top 10.

10. Machine Guarding — 1910.212: 1,072 violations

Machine guarding rounded out the preliminary list with 1,072 violations, reinforcing the continuing importance of protecting employees from hazardous machine motion and points of operation.

9. Eye and Face Protection — 1926.102: 1,120 violations

OSHA found several recurring problems involving construction eye and face protection. Employees sometimes had no protection at all, while others lacked side protection or were using eyewear that did not meet applicable specifications.

Prescription eyewear can create another challenge. Workers may wear their normal glasses rather than safety eyewear designed to provide the required protection.

Cline said OSHA saw violations among framing, roofing, siding and masonry contractors, particularly in residential construction and renovation.

Comfort can also contribute to noncompliance. Workers may resist wearing protection because it fogs, becomes hot or is uncomfortable.

That makes eye protection a hazard that can be easy to miss during periodic audits because compliance can change from worker to worker and job to job.

This article originally appeared in the October 2026 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.

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