Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Manufacturing
Cal/OSHA issued 16,183 citations across 4,435 California manufacturing inspections from 2020 through 2025. The most-cited standard is §3203, the Injury and Illness Prevention Program — ahead of lockout/tagout, silica, and every machine-specific rule.
Cal/OSHA publishes a statewide top-ten list of frequently cited standards but no per-industry breakdown. This page is the manufacturing cut, computed from the federal enforcement data that Cal/OSHA inspections flow into. The period is January 2020 through December 2025: 16,183 citations across 4,435 California manufacturing inspections (NAICS 31–33).
Free IIPP Audit Checklist. The records §3203 requires, one question each: can you produce it today? Eleven items with citations, a write-in line for where each record lives, and a gaps table. PDF, no account. Request the checklist →
The top ten, 2020–2025
Citations counted per violation line item. Average penalty is the mean current penalty across the row’s citations, including those reduced to $0; the range minimum is the smallest non-zero current penalty. Current penalties are as retrieved 2026-08-21 and change as cases settle.
| # | Standard | What it covers | Citations | Avg penalty | Penalty range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | §3203 | Injury and Illness Prevention Program | 1,868 | $1,362 | $50 – $36,000 |
| 2 | §3314 | Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout) | 1,194 | $5,271 | $35 – $72,000 |
| 3 | §5204 | Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica | 899 | $2,309 | $50 – $90,000 |
| 4 | §5144 | Respiratory Protective Equipment | 669 | $826 | $50 – $18,000 |
| 5 | §342 | Reporting Work-Connected Fatalities and Serious Injuries | 475 | $3,723 | $75 – $25,000 |
| 6 | §5162 | Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment | 472 | $1,657 | $75 – $16,875 |
| 7 | §461 | Permits to Operate | 452 | $225 | $50 – $4,000 |
| 8 | §6151 | Portable Fire Extinguishers | 430 | $211 | $50 – $1,700 |
| 9 | §5194 | Hazard Communication | 407 | $548 | $50 – $22,500 |
| 10 | §2340.16 | Work Space About Electric Equipment | 311 | $248 | $50 – $9,560 |
| 11 | All other standards | 514 distinct sections outside the top ten | 9,006 | $2,738 | $16 – $162,850 |
| Total | All standards cited | 16,183 | $2,420 | $16 – $162,850 |
Reading the table
§3203 leads, and it is a records standard. The IIPP requirement asks for a written program, scheduled inspections with records, training documentation, and a named responsible person. Our Cal/OSHA IIPP guide covers every element, and the §3203 text itself is short enough to read in one sitting.
Lockout/tagout carries the most serious-class weight. §3314 — the control of hazardous energy during cleaning, repairing, servicing, and adjusting of machinery — was classified serious, willful, or repeat in 520 of 1,194 citations. That is the largest serious-class count in the table.
Two chemical-exposure programs sit in the top four. §5204 (silica) and §5144 (respiratory protection) are both written-program standards with training and, in defined cases, medical-evaluation requirements — paper obligations attached to physical hazards.
The bottom half is the walk-around list. Eyewash stations (§5162), fire extinguishers (§6151), electrical working space (§2340.16): conditions someone can check in an afternoon with the section text in hand.
Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations by Industry
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Construction
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Restaurants
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Landscaping
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Agriculture
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Auto Repair
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Trucking and Warehousing
- Most Cited Cal/OSHA Violations in Health Care
Methodology
Computed from the U.S. Department of Labor enforcement dataset (the OSHA Information System), which includes Cal/OSHA because California operates an OSHA-approved State Plan. Scope: citation line items on California inspections with NAICS codes beginning 31, 32, or 33, issuance dates January 2020 through December 2025, excluding citation records deleted in the source data. Data as retrieved 2026-08-21; counts change as cases settle and records are amended. Cal/OSHA’s own statewide summaries are at DIR’s citation statistics pages.
A citation count says what inspectors cited, not what any employer must do — the standards themselves say that. Each section above links to its full text.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most cited Cal/OSHA standard in manufacturing?
8 CCR §3203, the Injury and Illness Prevention Program — 1,868 citations on California manufacturing inspections from 2020 through 2025 in the federal enforcement data. Second is §3314, the control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), with 1,194.
Which manufacturing citations are most often classified serious?
In this data, §3314 lockout/tagout: 520 of its 1,194 citations were classified serious, willful, or repeat — more serious-class citations than any other standard in the manufacturing top ten. §5204 (respirable crystalline silica) and §5162 (emergency eyewash and shower) follow.
Where does this citation data come from?
From the U.S. Department of Labor's public enforcement dataset, which includes Cal/OSHA inspections because California operates an OSHA-approved State Plan. We counted citation line items on California manufacturing inspections (NAICS 31–33) issued January 2020 through December 2025, excluding records the agency later deleted.