If you run a construction business in Delaware, here is a number worth knowing: fall protection alone generated nearly $50 million in OSHA penalties in FY 2024 (OSHA, FY2024). That is one violation category, one year. Construction accounts for 5 of OSHA's 10 most-cited standards every single year, and the list has barely changed in over a decade.
These are not obscure technicalities. They are the first things inspectors look for, and they are the hazards most likely to put one of your workers in the hospital.
Here are the top 10, what OSHA checks, and what you can do about each one.
1. Fall Protection
Fall protection has held the number one spot on OSHA's most-cited list for 14 consecutive years. In FY 2025, it generated 5,914 citations nationally (OSHA, FY2025). Falls account for 38.5% of all construction fatalities (BLS, 2023).
What OSHA checks:
- Unprotected edges and floor openings at 6 feet or above
- Missing or improperly installed guardrails
- Workers using personal fall arrest systems without proper anchor points
What to do: Run a fall hazard assessment before any job that puts workers at height. Inspect harnesses before each use. Make sure anchor points are rated for fall arrest loads. Never use a guardrail as an anchor.
2. Ladders
Ladder violations consistently rank in the top three for construction. Falls from ladders are responsible for dozens of fatalities each year (BLS, 2023).
What OSHA checks:
- Ladders not extending 3 feet above the landing surface
- Incorrect angle (the 4-to-1 rule: 1 foot out for every 4 feet of height)
- Damaged or defective ladders still in service
What to do: Inspect every ladder before use. Retire any ladder with cracks, bent rails, or missing rungs. Train workers on angle, setup, and three-point contact before they step on a ladder on your site.
3. Scaffolding
Improper erection, inadequate guardrails, and overloading are the most common scaffolding violations. They affect thousands of construction workers each year.
What OSHA checks:
- Scaffolding not fully planked or improperly secured
- Missing guardrails on platforms more than 10 feet above the ground
- Scaffolding erected on unstable footing
What to do: Only qualified people should erect and dismantle scaffolding. Inspect every scaffold before each shift. Verify base plates are on firm, stable footing and that load ratings have not been exceeded.
4. Fall Protection Training
Having the equipment is not enough. OSHA cites employers separately for failing to train workers on how to recognize fall hazards and use protection correctly. This standard generated 2,050 citations in FY 2024 (OSHA, FY2024).
What OSHA checks:
- No documented fall protection training program
- Training not tailored to the specific hazards on the job site
- Workers unable to demonstrate correct harness donning and inspection
What to do: Conduct site-specific fall protection training for every worker exposed to fall hazards. Document who was trained, what was covered, and when. Retrain when site conditions change.
5. Hazard Communication
Construction workers encounter hazardous chemicals every day: concrete, solvents, adhesives, welding fumes. HazCom violations have ranked in the top five for years, generating 2,888 citations in FY 2024 (OSHA, FY2024).
What OSHA checks:
- No written hazard communication program
- Missing or outdated Safety Data Sheets for chemicals on site
- Workers not trained on the chemicals they use
What to do: Maintain a current SDS for every hazardous chemical on your site. Label all containers. Train workers before they use any new chemical, and document that training.
Not sure where your site stands on these standards? SafeDE offers free, confidential on-site consultations for Delaware construction businesses. No citations, no penalties. Just a walkthrough and a written action plan from Delaware's workplace safety team. Schedule a free consultation at worksafe.delaware.gov/consultation
6. Lockout/Tagout
Lockout/tagout violations involve the failure to control hazardous energy before workers service or maintain equipment. These violations climbed from 6th to 5th on the national list in FY 2024 (OSHA, FY2024).
What OSHA checks:
- No written energy control program
- Workers servicing equipment without locking out energy sources
- Workers not trained on energy control procedures
What to do: Develop machine-specific lockout/tagout procedures. Train every worker who services or maintains equipment. Conduct annual inspections of your energy control program.
7. Respiratory Protection
Construction workers face airborne hazards from concrete dust, silica, welding fumes, mold, and asbestos. Respiratory protection violations jumped to 4th place nationally in FY 2024, generating 2,470 citations (OSHA, FY2024).
What OSHA checks:
- No written respiratory protection program
- Workers using respirators without fit testing
- Incorrect respirator selected for the hazard
What to do: Conduct air monitoring to understand your exposure levels. Develop a written respiratory protection program. Fit-test every worker who wears a tight-fitting respirator annually. Silica exposures require specific controls under OSHA's silica standard (29 CFR 1926.1153).
8. Powered Industrial Trucks
Forklifts and other powered industrial trucks are responsible for roughly 85 deaths and 34,900 serious injuries each year in the U.S. (BLS/OSHA). Citations for these violations totaled 2,248 in FY 2024 (OSHA, FY2024).
What OSHA checks:
- Operators without documented training and certification
- No pre-shift equipment inspections
- Workers riding on forks or unauthorized attachments
What to do: Certify every forklift operator before they run equipment. Require pre-shift inspections. Set speed limits and establish pedestrian separation zones on your site.
9. Eye and Face Protection
Eye and face protection violations generated 2,112 citations nationally in FY 2024 (OSHA, FY2024). Most involve workers who were not provided the right PPE or were not required to use it.
What OSHA checks:
- No eye protection for workers exposed to flying debris, sparks, or chemical splash
- PPE not appropriate for the hazard (safety glasses instead of a face shield for grinding, for example)
What to do: Conduct a PPE hazard assessment for every job task that creates eye exposure risk. Stock the right protection for each hazard. Enforce use consistently.
10. Machine Guarding
Machine guarding violations are most common in manufacturing, but construction sites with saws, grinders, and power tools face the same risks. Missing or removed guards expose workers to amputations, lacerations, and crush injuries.
What OSHA checks:
- Removed or bypassed guards on power tools and machinery
- Workers operating equipment with exposed moving parts
What to do: Verify that all guards are in place before equipment is operated. Never remove guards to speed up a job. Replace damaged guards before the tool is used again.
Ready to Get Ahead of These Hazards?
These are the violations inspectors look for first. A SafeDE consultant can walk your job site, identify gaps across all 10 of these standards, and provide a written action plan. The service is free, confidential, and completely separate from OSHA enforcement. No citations, no penalties.
Construction businesses interested in SHARP certification, which provides a one-year exemption from routine OSHA programmed inspections, start here.
Schedule your free consultation: worksafe.delaware.gov/consultation
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