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Home›Courses›Safety Training›Safety 101: OSHAs Top 10

Safety 101: OSHAs Top 10

43 minutesEN / ESSafety Training29 CFR 1926.501; 29 CFR 1910.1200; 29 CFR 1926.1053; 29 CFR 1910.147; 29 CFR 1910.134; 29 CFR 1926.451; 29 CFR 1910.212
Quick Answer

Safety 101: OSHA's Top 10 is a 43-minute online course that covers each of OSHA's most frequently cited workplace safety violations, including fall protection, hazard communication, lockout/tagout, respiratory protection, and machine guarding. It is designed for employees across general industry and construction and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

OSHA's annual Top 10 Most Cited Violations list reflects the most persistent and widespread safety failures across American workplaces. In FY 2025, Fall Protection (1926.501) led the list with 5,914 violations, followed by Hazard Communication (1910.1200) with 2,546 violations, and Ladders (1926.1053) with 2,405 violations. These violations carry serious financial consequences - a single serious violation can result in penalties up to $16,550, while willful or repeated violations can reach $165,514 each. For employers, the Top 10 list represents both the greatest areas of regulatory exposure and the topics where employee training has the most immediate impact on compliance.

This course walks your employees through each of the major OSHA violation categories, explaining the specific hazards involved, the regulatory requirements employers and workers must follow, and the practical steps to maintain compliance. Your team will learn to recognize the conditions that lead to OSHA citations, understand why these standards exist, and apply the correct safety practices in their daily work. At 43 minutes, this is a comprehensive overview that functions as both a standalone safety orientation and a foundation for more specialized topic-specific training.

What You'll Learn

  • Fall protection requirements under 29 CFR 1926.501 including triggers, systems, and training
  • Hazard communication (HAZCOM) requirements under 29 CFR 1910.1200 including GHS labeling and SDSs
  • Ladder safety standards under 29 CFR 1926.1053 including selection, inspection, and proper use
  • Lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures under 29 CFR 1910.147 for controlling hazardous energy
  • Respiratory protection requirements under 29 CFR 1910.134 including program elements and fit testing
  • Scaffolding safety under 29 CFR 1926.451 including capacity, access, and fall prevention
  • Machine guarding requirements under 29 CFR 1910.212 including point-of-operation protection
  • Eye and face protection standards under 29 CFR 1926.102

Who Needs This Training

  • New employees in general industry or construction requiring safety orientation
  • Maintenance and facilities workers exposed to multiple OSHA-regulated hazards
  • Safety committee members responsible for workplace hazard identification
  • Supervisors and team leads who must enforce OSHA compliance on the job
  • Machine operators, warehouse workers, and manufacturing employees
  • Any employee in a role covered by OSHA general industry or construction standards

Regulatory Background

OSHA publishes its Top 10 Most Cited Violations list annually based on inspection data from the preceding fiscal year. The FY 2025 list recorded a combined total of over 22,000 violations across the ten most-cited standards. Fall Protection alone accounted for 5,914 violations, maintaining its position as the number one cited standard for over a decade. Hazard Communication followed with 2,546 violations and Ladders with 2,405. Lockout/Tagout recorded 2,177 violations, and Respiratory Protection had 1,953. Employers found in violation face penalties up to $16,550 per serious violation and $165,514 per willful or repeated violation. Failure to abate a cited condition adds up to $16,550 per day beyond the abatement deadline. The Top 10 standards collectively represent the areas where OSHA inspectors are most likely to find violations and issue citations.

Frequently Asked Questions

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the hazards and requirements associated with OSHA's Top 10 most-cited standards. However, several of the individual standards (such as fall protection, lockout/tagout, and respiratory protection) have their own specific training requirements that go beyond general awareness. This course is best used as a foundational orientation that is supplemented with topic-specific training for each standard applicable to your workplace.
Willful violations of any OSHA standard carry the highest penalty potential at up to $165,514 per violation as of 2025. A willful violation means the employer knew of the hazardous condition and made no reasonable effort to correct it. For example, an employer who knowingly fails to provide fall protection on a construction site where it is required could face a willful citation at the maximum penalty amount for each instance.
OSHA publishes the Top 10 list annually based on inspection data from the preceding fiscal year. While the specific violation counts change each year, the same standards have dominated the list for over a decade. Fall Protection has held the number one position consistently, and Hazard Communication, Ladders, and Lockout/Tagout remain in the top five most years.
OSHA inspections can be triggered by several events including employee complaints, workplace fatalities or serious injuries, referrals from other agencies, and targeted inspection programs focused on high-hazard industries. OSHA also conducts programmed inspections of workplaces in industries with high injury and illness rates. Any of these triggers can result in a comprehensive inspection that examines compliance with all applicable standards, not just the one that prompted the visit.
Yes. OSHA inspectors evaluate compliance with all applicable standards during an inspection. It is common for employers to receive citations for multiple violations during a single visit. For example, a construction site inspection might result in citations for fall protection, ladder safety, scaffolding, and hazard communication violations simultaneously. Each violation carries its own penalty, and multiple serious or willful violations can result in total penalty amounts exceeding $100,000.

Related Courses

This course provides a broad foundation that employers often follow with targeted training on specific Top 10 topics. For construction teams, pairing it with Fall Protection and Prevention: Jobsite Safety and Scaffolding Safety for Employees addresses the two most-cited construction standards directly. For general industry operations, Lockout Tagout: Secure Safely and Hazard Communication: GHS Safety Data Sheets deliver the in-depth training those specific standards require.

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$29.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$29.95
10 - 24$23.95
25 - 49$21.55
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $29.95
Language

This course is available in English and Spanish at no additional charge.

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

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$29.95
per person