The Real Reason OSHA’s Top Violations Don’t Change—and What Leaders Must Do

For the 15th year in a row, Fall Protection – General Requirements ranks as the most frequently cited workplace safety violation in the U.S., according to OSHA’s 2025 preliminary data. Several of the most cited categories remain directly tied to basic physical access and movement—areas where oversight often stems from underinvestment or outdated infrastructure.

The consistency of this list is telling. This is more than a record of violations; it reflects deeper cultural inertia in workplace safety.

Safety Is More Than a Checklist

Too often, safety gets reduced to a list of to-dos: training completed, signs posted, PPE on order. On paper, the boxes are checked. But in practice, the risk remains.

Real safety culture doesn’t come from compliance paperwork—it shows up in how teams work, how leaders lead, and how often people speak up before something goes wrong.

The fact that the same violations resurface every year isn’t about confusion over the rules. It’s about inconsistency in how they’re upheld and whether safety is truly prioritized day-to-day.

At its core, this is about leadership. Because culture starts at the top.

The Cost of Complacency

OSHA’s 2025 data tells us:

• Fall protection still tops the list with 5,914 violations

• Ladder safety remains in the top three with over 2,400+ violations

• Training requirements for fall protection continue to be ignored

These aren't minor mistakes. They’re signs that safety is still treated as something to react to, not plan for. Behind every citation is a story: a warning unspoken, a fix postponed, a risk taken under pressure.

And the cost goes far beyond a fine. It’s injuries that sideline workers, insurance costs that climb, shifts left short, and days lost. Most painful of all, it’s the moment someone doesn’t make it home the way they left.

The Role of Executive Leadership

C-suites and boards must ask harder questions:

• Are our safety metrics lagging or leading?

• Are we incentivizing speed over safety?

• Are front-line workers truly empowered to stop unsafe work?

Safety outcomes are shaped not by policies alone, but by priorities. If safety isn’t championed at the highest level, it won't thrive on the ground.

Simple Infrastructure, Major Impact

Ladder safety doesn’t sound complex—but it is one of the most common problem areas year after year. Thousands of violations stem from fixed ladder setups that are missing something as basic as a safe way to climb on or off.

And the solution? It’s often as simple as installing grab bars or extending side rails. These are low-cost, permanent upgrades that can be installed aftermarket, without a major overhaul. A small investment in the right access equipment can prevent a serious injury—or worse.

This is not a complicated fix. It just takes attention. A quick audit, a conversation with your facility team, a bit of planning—and the hazard is gone. But when no one’s really looking for it, the risk stays in place.

Raising the Bar on Safety Culture

This year’s Top 10 violations go beyond a regulatory scorecard—they reveal what’s still being overlooked at the ground level. And in many cases, the fix is not complicated.

Products like LadderPort’s permanent ladder receivers and roof hatch grab bars are designed specifically to address long-standing compliance gaps. They turn risky access points into safe, OSHA-aligned transitions—without requiring costly construction or complex systems.

Facilities that make these simple upgrades move past checkbox compliance—they’re shaping environments where safety is built into the structure itself. It shows employees that leadership is paying attention—and willing to act.

Because when safety is built in, it doesn’t have to be chased down. That’s how cultures shift—from reactive to resilient.

If your facility has fixed ladders or rooftop access points, it’s worth taking a closer look. A LadderPort receiver or roof hatch grab bar could be the simplest improvement you make all year.

Request a quote and let’s make your access points safer, smarter, and OSHA-compliant.