Depending on what your job is, workplace safety can range from getting a stiff wrist to all sorts of daily life and death situations. Fortunately, at least if you are in the US, there is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to make sure your employer does their utmost to prevent any injury. However, just because there is a rule doesn’t mean all employers actually follow it.
The “r/OSHA” online is dedicated to documenting the most atrocious, random and grimly hilarious workplace safety violations. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.
#1 The More You Look The Worse It Gets
Image credits: AidanGee
#2 Is This Structurally Sound?
Image credits: Parlax76
#3 Covered In Stainless Steel Dust With No Face Masks Or Respirators
Like polishing a cybertruck wasn’t already dumb enough…
Image credits: ZombiesInSpace
While most countries have their own equivalent, OSHA (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has become the catch-all method of discussing workplace safety or lack thereof. Founded in 1970 by Richard Nixon, its task was by no means simple.
The agency was designed to “"assure safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance." After all, in many jobs, bad days happen, but there are “best practices” that can be put in place to limit just how often workers end up falling off ladders.
#4 The Lock Is To Prevent The Fire Escaping
Image credits: AidanGee
#5 Safety Standards In 1960
Image credits: WildAnimus
#6 Pure Waste
Image credits: gvsteve
If you are surprised by the late date of OSHA’s founding, it’s worth pointing out that the US already had some job safety regulations and oversight since the 1930s, put in place by the Bureau of Labor Standards of the Department of Labor. Even this seems shockingly “late” given the prevalence of heavy industry in the US, but it’s better than nothing.
#7 We All Like A Little Bit Of Shade Right?
Image credits: Tuaterstar
#8 Fuel Spill Clean-Up
Image credits: JoeKleine
#9 Huh, So That Is Why They Told Me To X-Ray The Ground First
Image credits: the-doctor-is-real
However, OSHA isn’t some all-knowing and all-seeing organization, it really does need people to report violations. As these images show, many job sites are unsafe because managers are lazy or want to cut costs. While the worst that might happen to some of us is a sore wrist or bad-posture-induced pain, in certain jobs something going wrong can lead to significantly worse outcomes.
#10 Hired A Company To Remove A Tree. Came Home To This:
Image credits: CapitanWaffles
#11 Chained And Locked Fire Exit
Image credits: too_late_to_abort
#12 Construction Workers At Epcot, Disneyworld, Early 1980s
Image credits: Nicker
#13 At Least He Let His Wife Drive
Image credits: Shiftclick46
#14 Grandpa’s Asbestos Tin
He uses it to anneal metal.
Image credits: pernaso77
#15 That Should Do It
Image credits: TemporaryAccount-tem
#16 This Is How My Great Grandpa Stored His Dynamite, Passed Away, And Left Me To Deal With It Christmas Eve
Image credits: StarSlayerX
#17 I Mean If The Grabber Is Closed Before Getting In I Don't See The Harm
Image credits: Rough_Community_1439
#18 Totally Safe, It's A Load-Bearing Dumpster
Image credits: Mikey77777
#19 Shockingly Dumb Placement
Image credits: Tlotpwist
#20 Only A Matter Of Time Until Maximizing Profits. Bankrupts The Whole Company
100s of racks damaged way beyond being safe. It’s a game of Jenga stacking 1000s of pounds up in overstock. Just a matter of time until something horrible happens.
Image credits: allfire4207
#21 Drinking Coffee While Working With Isotopes At Lab
Image credits: Keegipeeter
#22 New Ceiling Lights In My Workplace Are Powered By Putting 220v Mains Voltage Into Metal Railing With Scissor Clips. The Ceilings Are Low Enough That I Could Touch The Railings If I Stretch Enough. They Were Done This Way For "Aesthetics"
Image credits: savawell
#23 What My Grandpa Was Using To Change Photos Above The Stairs
Image credits: Desperate_Growth4922
#24 From A Power Washer Advertisement: Look How Easy It Cuts Through Soft Material!
Image credits: Buetti
#25 There Is An Osha Violation, And Than There Is Pure Madness
Image credits: hopopo
#26 I Found An Electrician Wearing This
Image credits: RandomCreeper3
#27 Saw This Outside My Office Today, What A Lovely Place To Relax Before Starting The Job
Image credits: rymannoodle
#28 Removing Lead Paint With A Blowtorch Without A Mask
Image credits: RobertWrag
#29 Got Canned Yesterday For Pointing Out This Massive Violation
Image credits: ILIKESPAGHETTIYAY
#30 I Get Really Nervous When Adam Savage Wears His Watch (And Ring) While Machining. Shouldn't He Consider Removing These Items Before Machining?
Image credits: TheWaveCarver
#31 Saw This At A Bar I Deliver To
Image credits: Noversi
#32 My Guys' Sense Of Humor When I Point Out Three Uncovered Hole Hazards On A Job Site
Image credits: RiffRaff028
#33 It’s A Fun Day When Nothing Is Locked Out!
Image credits: slundered
#34 Suggested Friend. This Is His Facebook Picture
Image credits: 2XGSWsurvivor
#35 Saw On My Facebook.. Dude Grinding Right Into The Produce
Image credits: pablomcdubbin
#36 Invisible Forklift
Image credits: Ill_Independent3989
#37 What's The Fastest Way To Get Workers On A Roof?
Image credits: FightingBruin
#38 Bro Forgot To Use The Volt Cutters
Image credits: CardboardCutoutFieri
#39 Road Out Front My Parents’ Place In Rural West Getting Re-Paved
Image credits: scootty83
#40 I’m Hoping The Oil From The Fryer Is At Least Cold When They Try This…
Image credits: [deleted]
#41 Look, I Don’t Wanna Be “That Guy”or Nothin, But This Feels A Tad Dangerous
Image credits: NoBdy_WzarD
#42 We Carried 50 Beds, 50 Cupboards, 50 Sideboards And 50 Wall Cabinets Over That Pitfall
Image credits: Agasthenes
#43 We're Expecting Some Cold Weather And The Building I Work In Put A Faucet Cover Over The Sprinkler By The Door
Image credits: NotCollin__
#44 Great Grandpa Electrical Work In The 60s
Image credits: StarSlayerX
#45 Youtuber Testing A Unsecured Ceiling Fan With Sharpened Blades While Standing Underneath It And Using His Hands
Image credits: tcdirks1
#46 Big Debate About New Pallet Slide At Work
Somebody fell down the stairs while removing a pallet from the platform so they decided to install a slide..
Image credits: Free-Pension-1145
#47 Is This Safe? They Tell Me 'It's Fine'. Been This Way For Years
Image credits: crasagam
#48 Is This Bad
Image credits: Bendoverbich1
#49 Got It?
Image credits: bigmike0004
#50 The "Stairs" Im Expected To Climb Daily
Image credits: afartispoopcrying
#51 Post-It: The Traditional Way To Mitigate Workplace Danger
Image credits: SinstarMutation
#52 There’s A Lot To Unpack Here Past The Cellphone
Well this is the factory tonight. Dumb award goes to this stupid bastard for being on his phone when the press was running. It's 9:30. And they will be here till tomorrow. If you are wondering that is high temp gasket sealer. Not gonna be easy.
Image credits: KP230
#53 Got Those Cables In, Boss, Hell Of A Job
Image credits: Myrtha_Thistlethorne
#54 Since The Top Post Right Now Is Worried About Adam's Lathe Practices, Please Allow Me To Introduce "Ididathing". And Yes, It's On
Image credits: Embershardx
#55 Local Utility Company Posted This On Social Media
Image credits: Appropriate_Shake265
#56 In Spain, We Attach The Fire Extinguisher To The Flammable Items, Like Gas Cylinders
Image credits: TweakUnwanted
#57 Uhh…
Image credits: Paarthurnax420
#58 This Company Does This On A Daily. They Have Shoring Equipment But It’s Not Convenient
Image credits: Oneshot1187
#59 I Wish This Was Fake, Saw This At A Guy's House While Doing A Marketplace Deal
Image credits: rasputinrasputin
#60 I've Been In Construction 13 Years And I've Never Seen This. Anybody Have An Explanation...?
Image credits: mrparoxysms
#61 Staples (Hazlet Nj) Blocked Fire Exit And No Restrooms
Image credits: ybnrml86
#62 Found A Stocker At Work Using This Broken Steak Knife To Cut Open Boxes
Image credits: proteccthebees
#63 1" Polyethylene Pipe Used For Handrail
Image credits: rasta4eye
