OSHA publishes the 10 most frequently cited standards each fiscal year. In construction, the same standards dominate the list year after year — fall protection has held the #1 position for over 15 consecutive years. Understanding these violations, their CFR references, realistic penalty ranges, and the documentation that prevents each one gives contractors a focused framework for reducing citation exposure. Below is the complete breakdown for 2025-2026, with estimated citation counts based on OSHA's publicly available enforcement data.
A critical point before we begin: most of these violations are not cited because contractors are ignoring safety. They are cited because contractors cannot produce the documentation proving compliance. For each of the 10 standards below, we identify the specific records that prevent citations — because the documentation gap, not the safety gap, is what most contractors need to close.
Estimated citations: 7,200+ per year | Serious violation penalty: up to $16,550 | Willful: up to $165,514
Fall protection has been the most cited OSHA standard in every industry for over a decade, and construction accounts for the overwhelming majority of these citations. The standard requires that employers provide fall protection for workers on walking/working surfaces with unprotected sides or edges 6 feet or more above a lower level.
Citations under this standard typically involve missing guardrails at floor openings or open-sided floors, unprotected leading edges, inadequate or improperly anchored personal fall arrest systems, and unguarded holes. Each unprotected worker can be cited as a separate instance, meaning a crew of five working without fall protection can generate five separate citations.
Documentation that prevents this citation: A written fall protection plan (when conventional protection is infeasible), documented fall hazard assessments for each work area, fall protection training certifications under 29 CFR 1926.503, daily inspection records of fall protection systems, and competent person designations for fall protection.
Estimated citations: 3,200+ per year | Serious violation penalty: up to $16,550
The Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom) requires employers to inform employees about chemical hazards in the workplace through a written program, safety data sheets (SDS), labels, and training. Construction sites routinely use adhesives, solvents, coatings, fuels, and other hazardous chemicals — yet many contractors fail to maintain the required written HazCom program.
The most common HazCom citations are: no written hazard communication program, safety data sheets not maintained or not accessible to employees, containers not properly labeled, and employees not trained on chemical hazards present on site. These are documentation-only violations — they can be cited even if no employee is exposed to a chemical hazard at the time of inspection.
Documentation that prevents this citation: A written HazCom program customized to your operations, a complete SDS binder accessible at the point of use, a chemical inventory list, HazCom training records with employee signatures, and documented container labeling procedures.
Estimated citations: 2,800+ per year | Serious violation penalty: up to $16,550
Scaffolding violations consistently rank in the top 3 for construction. The standard covers scaffold construction, capacity, access, platforms, and fall protection on scaffolds. Common citations include scaffolds not fully planked, missing guardrails or toeboards, improper access (climbing cross-braces instead of using ladders), scaffolds not erected under the direction of a competent person, and base plates on unstable footing.
What makes scaffolding citations particularly costly is the competent person requirement. Every scaffold must be inspected before each work shift by a competent person — and that inspection must be documented. Inspectors routinely ask for scaffold inspection records, and the absence of these records is a separate citable violation under 29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3).
Documentation that prevents this citation: Pre-shift scaffold inspection records signed by the competent person, competent person designation documentation, scaffold user training records under 29 CFR 1926.454, scaffold erector/dismantler training records, and load capacity calculations where applicable.
Estimated citations: 2,600+ per year | Serious violation penalty: up to $16,550
This standard is separate from the general fall protection requirement and specifically addresses training. It requires that each employee who might be exposed to fall hazards be trained by a competent person, and that the employer maintain a written certification record for each employee. The certification must include the employee's name, the date of training, and the signature of the trainer or competent person.
This is one of the most preventable citations on the list. Most contractors provide fall protection training — the failure is documentation. Training conducted without a sign-in sheet, without dated records, or without the competent person's signature does not satisfy the standard. OSHA's position is unambiguous: if you cannot produce the written certification, the training did not occur.
Documentation that prevents this citation: Written training certification records with employee names, training dates, topics covered (including recognition of fall hazards, procedures for minimizing them, and proper use of fall protection systems), and the competent person's signature. Retraining records are also required when conditions change or employees demonstrate lack of understanding.
Estimated citations: 2,400+ per year | Serious violation penalty: up to $16,550
Ladder violations are cited frequently because ladders are used on virtually every construction site and the requirements are specific. Common citations include ladders not extending 3 feet above the landing surface, ladders not secured at the top to prevent displacement, portable ladders used on surfaces that are not stable and level, damaged ladders not taken out of service, and employees carrying loads that could cause them to lose balance.
The training component under 29 CFR 1926.1060 requires that employees be trained on proper ladder use, the hazards of using ladders near electrical hazards, and the maximum load capacities. This training must be provided by a competent person and documented.
Documentation that prevents this citation: Ladder safety training records, daily site inspection records noting ladder conditions and setup, defective equipment reports and removal from service documentation, and pre-inspection checklist items covering ladder requirements.
Estimated citations: 2,100+ per year | Serious violation penalty: up to $16,550
This standard requires employers to ensure that employees use appropriate eye and face protection when exposed to hazards such as flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids, caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, and light radiation (welding). Citations are issued when employees performing grinding, cutting, welding, concrete chipping, or other hazardous operations are observed without proper eye protection.
The underlying requirement is a PPE hazard assessment (29 CFR 1926.95) — a documented evaluation of workplace hazards to determine what PPE is necessary. Many contractors provide safety glasses on site but have never conducted or documented the hazard assessment that determines what level of eye and face protection is required for each task.
Documentation that prevents this citation: A written PPE hazard assessment documenting the hazards present and the eye/face protection required for each task, PPE training records, equipment inspection and replacement records, and daily log entries noting PPE compliance observations.
Estimated citations: 1,800+ per year | Serious violation penalty: up to $16,550 | Willful: up to $165,514
Excavation and trenching violations are among the most dangerous — and OSHA treats them accordingly. Cave-ins are the greatest hazard, and OSHA requires protective systems (sloping, shoring, or shielding) for all trenches 5 feet or deeper. The standard also requires a competent person to inspect excavations daily before entry, and after every rainstorm or condition change that could affect soil stability.
Excavation violations are frequently classified as willful, particularly when there is no evidence that a competent person evaluated the excavation or that protective systems were even considered. The penalty jump from serious ($16,550 maximum) to willful ($165,514 maximum) makes these violations among the most financially dangerous citations in construction.
Documentation that prevents this citation: Competent person designation for excavation, daily excavation inspection records (before entry and after weather events), soil classification documentation, protective system design or tabulated data, utility locate records, and training records for excavation hazard awareness.
Estimated citations: 1,600+ per year | Serious violation penalty: up to $16,550
Electrical violations in construction most commonly involve temporary wiring, extension cords, and ground-fault protection. The standard requires GFCIs on all 120-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacle outlets that are not part of the permanent wiring. Violations include missing GFCIs, damaged extension cords with exposed wires or missing ground prongs, improper use of flexible cords as a substitute for fixed wiring, and temporary wiring not meeting the 90-day limit before permanent installation.
The alternative to GFCIs is an assured equipment grounding conductor program — but this requires a written program, documented testing of all cord sets and receptacles before first use and every three months, and designated personnel to perform testing. Most contractors find GFCIs simpler than maintaining the documentation for the alternative program.
Documentation that prevents this citation: GFCI testing logs, assured equipment grounding conductor program documentation (if using the alternative), electrical equipment inspection records, damaged equipment removal from service records, and daily log entries noting electrical safety observations during site walkthroughs.
Estimated citations: 1,400+ per year | Serious violation penalty: up to $16,550
The head protection standard requires hard hats in areas where there is a danger of head injury from impact, falling or flying objects, or electrical shock and burns. On construction sites, this effectively means 100% hard hat compliance in all active work areas. Citations are issued when workers are observed without hard hats in areas where overhead work, material handling, or other struck-by hazards are present.
Hard hat violations are straightforward to observe and document — inspectors photograph workers without head protection and issue citations. The per-instance citation policy means each employee observed without a hard hat can generate a separate violation. A crew of four working without hard hats in a struck-by hazard zone can produce four citations totaling $66,200 in potential serious violation penalties.
Documentation that prevents this citation: Written PPE hazard assessment, PPE training records documenting when and where hard hats are required, daily log entries documenting PPE compliance observations, and documented disciplinary action for PPE non-compliance (evidence that rules are enforced, not just written).
Estimated citations: 1,200+ per year | Serious violation penalty: up to $16,550
Stairway violations round out the construction top 10. The standard requires stairways on construction sites to have handrails along each unprotected side or edge (stair rails at 36 inches high for stairways and 42 inches for stairrails along open sides), adequate illumination, and stair treads with uniform riser height and tread depth. Pan stairs (stairs with open-ended metal pans) must be filled with concrete or other solid material before use, or temporary treads must be installed.
Like ladder violations, stairway citations often result from conditions that contractors consider temporary — stairs in use during concrete placement or framing that lack handrails because “the building isn't finished yet.” OSHA does not recognize this as a defense. If employees are using the stairs, the stairs must meet the standard.
Documentation that prevents this citation: Daily site inspection records noting stairway conditions, training records on stairway hazards, corrective action records for identified deficiencies, and inspection checklist items specifically covering stairway requirements in active construction areas.
A pattern emerges across all 10 of the most cited standards: the documentation required to prevent each citation is largely the same. Training records, competent person designations, daily inspection records, written safety programs, and corrective action logs. These are not 10 separate documentation systems — they are the same system applied to different hazard categories.
Consider the math. A contractor with no structured documentation system faces potential exposure across all 10 standards. Even if only 3 of the 10 result in citations during a single inspection, the minimum exposure is $49,650 in serious violation penalties before any willful classifications are applied. With willful violations reaching $165,514 each, a single inspection targeting documentation-deficient contractors can easily produce six-figure penalty proposals.
Conversely, a contractor with a structured documentation system — daily logs, training records with signatures, competent person designations, equipment inspection records, and written safety programs — has a defensible position against every standard on this list. The documentation does not guarantee zero citations, but it ensures that any citation is defensible in an informal conference and that penalty reductions are available based on demonstrated good faith.
The top 10 list changes very little from year to year. The standards that generate the most citations are well known. The documentation that prevents those citations is well established. The gap between knowing what is required and having the records to prove compliance is the gap that costs contractors thousands of dollars every year. Closing that gap is not an operational overhaul — it is a documentation discipline.
Current 2026 OSHA penalty amounts for all violation types. Includes an interactive fine calculator, penalty reduction factors, and what drives fine severity for construction contractors.
10 min readComplete 2026 OSHA inspection checklist for construction contractors. Know exactly what inspectors look for and how to prepare your jobsite documentation.
12 min readComplete guide to OSHA-required documentation for construction contractors. Covers injury logs, training records, written safety programs, and what inspectors expect to review.
14 min readStep-by-step guide to preparing for an OSHA construction inspection. Covers documentation requirements, employee preparation, site readiness, and what inspectors evaluate first.
16 min readOSHA announces the Top 10 Most Cited Standards at the National Safety Council Congress each September, covering the previous fiscal year. The list has been remarkably stable — fall protection has been #1 for over 15 consecutive years. The top 5 rarely change positions.
Yes. Each violation is cited separately with its own penalty. A single inspection can result in citations across multiple standards — for example, fall protection, scaffolding, and recordkeeping violations on the same site visit. Penalties are additive.
A serious violation exists when there is substantial probability of death or serious physical harm and the employer knew or should have known about the hazard. A willful violation is one committed with intentional disregard or plain indifference to OSHA requirements. Willful violations carry penalties up to $165,514 — ten times the serious violation maximum.
A written safety program alone does not prevent citations, but it is a critical factor in penalty determination. OSHA considers "good faith" — including documented safety programs, training records, and corrective actions — when calculating penalty reductions. The absence of a program almost guarantees higher penalties.