(Update: Since the publication of this article, OSHA has released an updated list with the latest citation totals. You can find the updated list on Safety.BLR.com here.)

OSHA's list of the most-violated safety and health standards from October 2005 through September 2006 contains the usual suspects at the top but in a slightly different order.

Once again, OSHA's Scaffolding Standard was the most frequently cited standard overall. Among rules covering General Industry, the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) remains the most-violated standard but slipped from second last year to third this year on the overall list behind the Fall Protection Standard.

OSHA's top 10 most violated standards for fiscal year 2006 follow. The list and the number of violations are accurate as of October 13, 2006--the agency is still finalizing citation totals for the year.

1. Scaffolding--General Requirements (1926.451) with 7,895 violations
2. Duty to Have Fall Protection (1926.501) with 5,746 violations
3. Hazard Communication (1910.1200) with 5,586 violations
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134) with 3,410 violations
5. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) with 3,068 violations
6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178) with 2,582 violations
7. Electrical--Wiring Methods, Components, and Equipment for General Use (1910.305) with 2,396 violations
8. Machine Guarding--General Requirements (1910.212) with 2,296 violations
9. Ladders (1926.1053) with 2,115 violations
10. Electrical--General Requirements (1910.303) with 1,791 violations