Manufacturing Safety: OSHA Requirements and Common Violations
A guide to OSHA requirements for manufacturing workplaces, common hazards, and the most frequently cited general industry standards.
What OSHA Requires in Manufacturing
Manufacturing workplaces are regulated under 29 CFR 1910, OSHA's General Industry standards. These standards cover a broad range of workplace hazards including machine guarding, control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), hazardous chemical exposure, respiratory protection, fire safety, electrical safety, and walking/working surfaces.
Under the OSH Act, employers must provide workplaces free of recognized hazards. In manufacturing, this includes ensuring that any machine part, function, or process that may cause injury is properly safeguarded, that workers are trained on chemical hazards, and that energy sources are controlled during maintenance.
Common Manufacturing Hazards
Unguarded or inadequately guarded machines are one of the most serious hazards in manufacturing. According to OSHA, any machine part, function, or process that may cause injury must be safeguarded. Common injuries from unguarded machinery include crushed fingers or hands, amputations, burns, and blindness. OSHA maintains a National Emphasis Program specifically targeting amputation hazards in manufacturing industries.
Workers performing maintenance or servicing on machines can be seriously injured if hazardous energy is not properly controlled. The control of hazardous energy standard (29 CFR 1910.147) requires employers to establish procedures to disable machinery and prevent the release of stored energy during service and maintenance.
Manufacturing workers may be exposed to hazardous chemicals including solvents, adhesives, paints, and cleaning agents. OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) requires employers to inform workers about chemical hazards through safety data sheets, labels, and training.
Airborne contaminants in manufacturing include dust, fumes, mists, and chemical vapors. According to OSHA, compliance with the Respiratory Protection Standard could avert hundreds of deaths and thousands of illnesses annually. Effective respiratory protection programs must include medical evaluation, fit testing, and training.
Forklifts and other powered industrial trucks are widely used in manufacturing facilities. Common hazards include falling loads, trucks driven off loading docks, workers struck by lift trucks, and falls from elevated pallets and tines. OSHA prohibits anyone under 18 years of age from operating forklifts, and all operators must complete training and evaluation as specified in 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(1).
Key Manufacturing Safety Standards
The following general industry standards are among the most frequently cited by OSHA in manufacturing workplaces:
Requires employers to establish an energy control program with procedures for disabling machinery during service and maintenance to prevent unexpected startup or release of stored energy.
View violation data for 1910.147Requires that any machine part, function, or process that may cause injury must be safeguarded. When the operation of a machine or accidental contact can injure the operator or others, the hazards must be eliminated or controlled.
View violation data for 1910.212Now aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). Requires chemical manufacturers and importers to provide Safety Data Sheets (SDS) in a standardized 16-section format. Employers must obtain labels and SDS for hazardous chemicals and train employees on recognition and handling.
View violation data for 1910.1200Requires employers to establish respiratory protection programs including medical evaluation, fit testing, and training. Covers two types of respirators: those that remove contaminants from the air (particulate respirators, air-purifying with cartridges/canisters) and those that supply clean air (airline respirators, self-contained breathing apparatus).
View violation data for 1910.134Governs the operation and training requirements for forklifts and other powered industrial trucks. Each operator must demonstrate competence through training and evaluation. Operators must be at least 18 years of age.
View violation data for 1910.178Sources: OSHA Machine Guarding, OSHA Hazard Communication, OSHA Respiratory Protection, OSHA Powered Industrial Trucks
Fall Protection in General Industry
While falls are most commonly associated with construction, they are also a significant hazard in manufacturing. In general industry, OSHA requires fall protection at a height of 4 feet above a lower level. Employers must guard every floor hole into which a worker can accidentally walk (using a railing and toe-board or a floor hole cover) and provide a guard rail and toe-board around every elevated open-sided platform, floor, or runway.
According to OSHA, falls are among the most common causes of serious work-related injuries and deaths across all industries.
Source: OSHA Fall Protection
Manufacturing Inspection Records on SafetyRecord
Browse OSHA inspection records and violation data for manufacturing industry sectors:
Official OSHA Resources
Related Guides
This guide summarizes OSHA requirements. It is not legal advice or a substitute for reading the applicable standards. For the full regulatory text, visit osha.gov.
Data Source and Methodology
Data synced dailyData on this page comes from the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement database, accessed via the DOL public data API. Records are updated daily. We strive for accuracy, but errors in data processing or establishment grouping are possible. Penalty amounts reflect the latest penalty amounts on record in the DOL database and may differ from initial assessments or final amounts after informal conference, settlement, or judicial review. Company pages group inspection records by normalized employer name, city, and state as reported in OSHA records. That grouping is deterministic and non-fuzzy, but it is not a universal legal-entity identifier. If you believe any record is inaccurate, please report it and we will investigate. This product uses the DOL Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the DOL. For official and authoritative records, visit osha.gov.