OSHA’s Top 10 Safety Violations in 2024: Why is It Climbing in the Rankings?
This past September at the NEC show, one of the most sought after presentation was OSHA’s Top 10 Safety Violations. When you take a look at the list from the past years, you wonder, why is it so important? It’s basically the same one’s every year. Well, not so fast. Because we’re a forklift safety system company, we’re going to look into powered industrial trucks’ ranking and question why it’s going in a certain direction. Which direction? Let’s get into it.
OSHA’s Top 10 Safety Violations
OSHA’s Top 10 Safety Violations over the years tells an interesting story, especially for powered industrial trucks. Let’s take a look at the number of violations by year and where PIT ranks.
2024 – Ranks #5
2023 – Ranked #5
2022 – Ranked #7
2021 – Ranked #9
2020 – Ranked #7
2019 – Ranked #7
2018 – Ranked #7
By going back to 2018, this was pre-pandemic and right around the year SIERA.AI was founded with its AI-based forklift safety system. Next, we have the pandemic years, and even with the supply chain issues that blew up in the news, it had a minor effect on PIT’s ranking. In 2021 the ranking improved a bit, but remained relatively steady. What’s interesting is what transpired post-pandemic. The number of violations increased the last two years. In taking a look into the violations in 2024, the number of violations between #4 (respiratory) and #5 (PIT) is only 195. PIT’s could have easily been a #4.
What Could Be the Reason?
At an OSHA Advisor Committee Meeting, which we discussed in a September 12th blog article, the OSHA representative shared that since Covid, the 55+ experienced forklift operators did not return to work and their numbers as a result remain low. However, those that are 16-19 are increasing in numbers, and taking those open positions. Could that be the cause? It’s probably part of it, but not all. There’s also the number of seasonal workers and unauthorized workers getting on the forklift as well. But let’s not forget the actual forklift driver who chooses to defy the safety rules and asks of the company. Based on company feedback, forklift drivers continue to defy their training, requests, discussions, reprimands and anything else.
What Stops It?
Technology sure does help. But not any technology. Some have tried a technology based solution such as speed control devices, RFID tags, wearables to name a few low tech items. Clearly not much helped when using these devices over the past few years, because PIT jumped from 7 to 5 in the rankings.
With the release of AI-based safety systems, it can begin to make a difference. It’s not perfect and will need to continue to learn the ‘creative’ ways forklift operators will try to get around the system, but in actuality, it means it is making a good-sized dent. The only way that safety is to happen is to implement more AI based forklift safety systems, such as SIERA.AI’s S2 and S3 solutions which can alert the operator and even take control of the forklift if the forklift operator doesn’t adhere to the audio and visual warnings.
We need to get the number of violations down, and an AI-based forklift safety system is the best means available to ensure safety in the facility for the operator, worker and the facility itself.
Contact Us!
Contact us today at sales@siera.ai or call us at (512) 817 0702.