Period: October 2024 – September 2025
Executive Summary
Between October 2024 and September 2025, OSHA issued 2,550 citations for Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) violations across all industries. These citations resulted from 1,427 inspections and carried a total penalty weight of $16,446,984.
The data indicates that the manufacturing sector remains the primary focus of LOTO enforcement, accounting for the vast majority of both citations and high-dollar penalties.
Top 5 High-Risk Industry Groups
Based on the number of citations issued, the following NAICS subsectors are the most frequently cited for failing to control hazardous energy:
| NAICS | Industry Description | Citations | Inspections | Total Penalties |
| 332 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 378 | 239 | $1,306,412 |
| 311 | Food Manufacturing | 369 | 198 | $2,731,011 |
| 326 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 269 | 136 | $2,140,913 |
| 321 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 169 | 87 | $1,004,786 |
| 333 | Machinery Manufacturing | 134 | 70 | $481,348 |
Key Findings & Industry Trends
1. High Severity in Food and Plastics
While Fabricated Metal (332) had the highest number of total citations, Food Manufacturing (311) and Plastics/Rubber (326) faced significantly higher financial impacts.
- Food Manufacturing averaged approximately $7,401 per citation.
- Plastics and Rubber averaged approximately $7,958 per citation. This suggests that violations in these sectors are often classified as “Serious” or “Willful,” or involve repeat offenses.
2. Manufacturing Dominance
The top 10 list comprises only the manufacturing and wholesale sectors. This aligns with the heavy use of industrial machinery, conveyors, and automated systems in these environments which require frequent maintenance and, consequently, strict adherence to LOTO procedures.
3. Warehousing and Logistics
Beyond traditional manufacturing, Warehousing and Storage (493) and Merchant Wholesalers (423/424) showed notable activity, with over 150 combined citations. This highlights that LOTO is a critical safety factor in logistics hubs, likely involving automated sorting equipment and forklifts.
4. Emerging Compliance Areas
Significant penalties were also noted in:
- Chemical Manufacturing (325): $594,114
- Transportation Equipment (336): $529,818
- Administrative and Support Services (561): $710,629 (High penalty relative to citation count)
Conclusion
Standard 1910.147 continues to be one of OSHA’s most frequently cited standards. For employers in the 300-level NAICS codes (Manufacturing), the data suggests an urgent need for robust energy control programs, annual inspections of procedures, and comprehensive employee training to mitigate both physical risk to workers and significant financial liability.
Note: Penalty amounts reflect current totals as of the report date and may include adjustments from original assessed amounts through informal settlements or court decisions.
Source: Gemini Plus was used to analyze the OSHA data to generate this summary