Every year at the National Safety Council (NSC) Congress and Expo, NSC and OSHA partner to reveal OSHA's Top 10 most commonly cited violations. This year's list, very similar to 2010's, listed hazard communication violations at No. 3, unchanged from last year.

Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA's directorate of enforcement programs, released the list Nov. 1 on the NSC expo floor in Philadelphia. From scaffolding, which garnered the highest number of violations in fiscal year (FY) 2011, to machine guarding, below are the hazards and standards employers may want to pay closer attention to:
1. Scaffolding (29 CFR 1926.451)
2. Fall Protection (29 CFR 1926.501)
3. Hazard Communication (29 CFR 1910.1200)
4. Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – "Lockout/Tagout" (29 CFR 1910.147)
6. Electrical – Wiring Methods (29 CFR 1910.305)
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (29 CFR 1910.178)
8. Ladders (29 CFR 1926.1053)
9. Electrical systems design – General Requirements (29 CFR 1910.303)
10. Machine Guarding (29 CFR 1910.212)
Last Year's List – Most Cited Violations of 2010
1. Scaffolding
2. Fall Protection
3. Hazard Communication
4. Respiratory Protection
5. Ladders
6. Control of Hazardous Energy—Lockout/Tagout
7. Electrical—Wiring Methods
8. Powered Industrial Trucks
9. Electrical—General
10. Machine Guarding

Source: United Stated Department of Labor OSHA Quick Takes. Nov. 15, 2011.