You won't find the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Top 10 list of violations on the Late Show with David Letterman.

There's nothing funny about violating OSHA safety and health rules. Doing so can be financially costly to your company or, worse ye,t be cause for employee injuries.

As I have noted in previous columns, no wood products employer works overtime thinking of ways to put his workers' safety in jeopardy. But clearly, considering the dozens of news items we post each year of woodworking companies that are cited for violating workplace rules by OSHA, there are managers who fail to devote sufficient time and energy to ensuring that their plants and operational practices are as free of potential health and safety pitfalls as law and commonsense would dictate.

That all said, consider the following a handy checklist of safety points to keep top of mind. Doing so might not only save you cash on penalties if an OSHA inspector unexpectedly shows up at your front door, but more importantly will make your conscience feel better knowing you are putting the safety of your employees first and foremost.

OSHA's Top 10 Violations
The ten most frequently cited violations of OSHA regulations cover a range of hazards that could lead to serious construction injuries and other job site accidents:

1. Scaffolding: OSHA's general requirements for scaffolding mandate specific weight requirements, use of counterweights, connections to roofs and floors and other factors to keep workers safe when working high above sidewalks and other surfaces.
2. Fall protection: Guardrails, safe walking surfaces, safety nets and harnesses must be employed under certain conditions to prevent injuries from falls.
3. Hazard communication: Workers must be informed of chemical hazards via container labeling, material safety data sheets and employee training.
4. Respiratory protection: Employers must provide appropriate respirators and prevent atmospheric contamination to guard against occupational diseases caused by harmful dust, gases, smoke and vapors.
5. Ladders: Portable and fixed ladders must meet strict guidelines regarding weight-bearing capacity, space between rungs and surface materials.
6. Lockout/tagout: Machines and equipment that require servicing and maintenance must be guarded by procedures and tags that prevent accidental start up.
7. Electrical wiring methods: All wiring conduits must be grounded or bonded to ensure electrical continuity and prevent severe shock or electrocution.
8. Industrial trucks: Forklifts, tractors, platform lifts, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized equipment must meet design requirements for fire protection, design and maintenance.
9. General electrical requirements: Electric equipment must be free of recognized hazards based on strength and durability, connection space, electrical insulation, heating and arcing effects, and other factors.
10. Machine guarding: Operators and other employees in the area must be protected using appropriate barriers and electronic safety devices to avoid nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks.

Read more of Rich Christianson's blogs.

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