Violation is failure or refusal to comply with a rule or formal agreement. Safety violation according to the Health & Safety Executive is a deliberate deviation from rules, procedures, and instructions designed for the safety and efficiency of a system.
Safety Violation
It can also be said to be a violation of a particular workplace safety standard, regulation, policy, or rule. Safety violations include both the violation of safety policies created by an individual workplace and violations of the regulatory standards that are enforced within a given jurisdiction.
OSHA gave a comprehensive list of top safety violations of 2018:
See complete list:
Most Cited OSHA Violations of 2018
1. Fall Protection (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
3. Scaffolding – General Requirements (1926.451)
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
5. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
6. Ladders (1926.1053)
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503)
9. Machine Guarding– General Requirement (1910.212)
10. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102)
All the above are the areas that as most violated. These violations come with negative effects ranging from legal actions, and injury, to death.
Read Also: What is top management commitment towards Occupational Health and Safety?
Types Of Safety Violations
Safety violations are generally grouped into two (2):
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Intentional Violation:
This occurs when the violator knows that he/she is violating certain rules or requirements but is overwhelmed by various factors like lack of enforcement, management pressure, design and condition of the work area, environmental factors, etc. This violation can either be a routine, situational violation, or exceptional violation.
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Non-Intentional Violation:
This mostly occurs usually a result of a lack of knowledge or behavioral errors.
Read Also: 6 effective approaches to enhancing Health and Safety Compliance on site
Ways to Enhance Safety Compliance
Safety violations need to be controlled in the workplace to prevent accidents and/or legal sanctions. It can be controlled by improving safety compliance; this can be achieved by:
- Planning for Improving Health and Safety: There must be a plan in place to improve health and safety in the workplace. This will include ways of identifying hazards and controlling the risk. Make your employees understand their duties regarding health and safety, and have a line of communication open for reporting safety concerns.
- Workplace inspection: There should be a plan for routine workplace inspection. This will help identify hazards/risks early and identify risky behaviors and non-compliance. This will be used to design and prioritize actions to support the safety issues identified.
- Training: To enhance compliance, employees must be trained. This training will expose them to the different violations and their implications. This will help them take informed action against safety violations.
Other ways to boost compliance and reduce violations are:
- Leadership example
- Investigate accident
- Engage employees or their representatives in the decision-making process
- Maintain records: This involves records of first aid treatment, inspections, incident investigations, training activities, etc.
- Always give opportunity for continual improvement.
Read Also: 6 Ways To Make Sure Your New Business Is Safety Compliant
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