5 Most Common Hazards in Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing

All data used in this article is based on OSHA Frequently Cited Standards for NAICS 332 (October 2024 – September 2025)

Introduction

Fabricated metal product manufacturing is one of the more hazardous sectors in American industry. Workers operate heavy machinery, handle sharp and heavy materials, weld and cut metal, and work with a wide range of toxic substances. Federal OSHA issued 3,528 citations across 1,085 inspections in this sector in the period October 2024 through September 2025, generating over $9.3 million in penalties. The citation data tells a clear story about where the greatest dangers lie.

The volume and consistency of these violations points to a training problem as much as a compliance problem. Workers in fabricated metals manufacturing need training that builds real competency, not just awareness. For a closer look at how modern training methods are changing safety outcomes in metal manufacturing, see our article on VR Training in the Steel Industry.

Below are the five most common hazards in fabricated metal product manufacturing, drawn directly from the standards most frequently cited by OSHA inspectors.

1. Unguarded Machinery

OSHA Standard 1910.212 – General Requirements for All Machines
379 citations | 333 inspections | $2,125,096 in penalties

The single most-cited standard in fabricated metals manufacturing covers machine guarding. Presses, shears, lathes, mills, drills, and grinders all present points of operation, the areas where work is performed on material, that can amputate fingers and hands in a fraction of a second. OSHA requires that every machine have adequate guarding to protect operators and nearby workers from rotating parts, flying chips, sparks, and nip points.

In fabricated metals shops, violations commonly involve missing or bypassed guards on mechanical power presses, grinders, and cutting machines. The consequences are severe and often permanent. Amputations are among the most commonly reported injuries in this NAICS code. The high penalty total, over $2 million from this standard alone, reflects both the frequency of the violation and the serious or willful classifications that follow when guards have been deliberately removed or workers haven’t been protected.

Employers should conduct regular machine audits, ensure guards can’t be easily defeated, and train workers never to operate equipment with guards removed or disabled.

2. Failure to Control Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)

OSHA Standard 1910.147 – The Control of Hazardous Energy
378 citations | 239 inspections | $1,303,174 in penalties

Nearly as frequently cited as machine guarding, lockout/tagout failures represent one of the most dangerous conditions in any manufacturing environment. When machinery is being serviced, cleaned, unjammed, or adjusted, stored energy, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal, or mechanical, can release unexpectedly and kill or seriously injure workers.

OSHA’s lockout/tagout standard requires employers to establish written energy control procedures for every piece of equipment, train workers in those procedures, and verify that machines are fully de-energized before anyone works on them. In fabricated metals shops, this is especially critical given the number of high-powered machines running at any time.

Common violations include having no written procedures, having procedures that aren’t followed in practice, and failing to train workers on equipment-specific lockout steps. These violations are frequently cited alongside machine guarding failures, because the same machines that lack guards are often also the ones without proper lockout procedures. Together, these two standards accounted for 757 citations, over one-fifth of all citations issued in the sector.

Lockout/tagout is one of the procedures most effectively taught through hands-on practice. SHIIFT’s Lockout Tagout VR Training Course walks workers through all stages of the LOTOTO procedure in an immersive simulation, with voiced instructions and immediate feedback, so they can build competency in a safe environment before performing the procedure on a live machine.

3. Respiratory Hazards and Inadequate Respiratory Protection

OSHA Standard 1910.134 – Respiratory Protection
358 citations | 146 inspections | $375,698 in penalties

Metal fabrication generates a significant burden of airborne hazards. Grinding, cutting, welding, deburring, and coating operations all produce dusts, fumes, mists, and vapors that workers breathe throughout their shifts. These include metal fumes from welding (including manganese, chromium, and nickel in stainless steel work), grinding dust, paint and coating mists, and solvents used in cleaning and surface preparation.

OSHA’s respiratory protection standard requires employers to assess respiratory hazards in the workplace, implement engineering and administrative controls where feasible, and where exposures remain above permissible limits, provide appropriate respirators, conduct fit testing, establish a written respiratory protection program, and perform medical evaluations to ensure workers can safely wear respirators.

At 358 citations across only 146 inspections, inspectors found respiratory protection violations in nearly every workplace they visited, averaging more than two citations per inspection. This isn’t a fringe compliance issue, it’s one of the most systemic failures in the sector. Many employers provide respirators but don’t maintain the required written program, skip annual fit testing, or fail to perform medical clearance evaluations before workers begin wearing tight-fitting respirators. Others don’t assess whether a respiratory hazard exists at all.

Long-term exposure to metal fumes and dusts is linked to occupational asthma, metal fume fever, lung disease, and in some cases cancer. The effects may not manifest for years, making prevention through proper controls and a compliant respiratory program all the more important. SHIIFT’s Respiratory Protective Equipment training videos, produced for ADNOC HSE, show how clear, visually-led instruction can teach workers how to correctly use RPE, including SCBA and emergency escape apparatus, without the need for classroom sessions.

4. Hazard Communication Failures

OSHA Standard 1910.1200 – Hazard Communication
333 citations | 188 inspections | $378,245 in penalties

Fabricated metals facilities use a wide array of hazardous chemicals like cutting fluids, degreasers, paints, coatings, adhesives, solvents, acids for metal treatment, and compressed gases. OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom), sometimes called the “Right to Know” law, requires that workers be informed about the hazardous chemicals they work with so they can protect themselves.

The standard has three core requirements: chemical manufacturers and importers must prepare Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for hazardous substances; containers must be properly labeled with hazard information; and employers must train workers on how to read and use that information. Employers must also maintain a written HazCom program and an inventory of hazardous chemicals on site.

Violations in this sector typically involve missing or outdated SDS documents, unlabeled or mislabeled containers, and workers who haven’t received hazard communication training. These failures leave workers unable to identify the hazards of substances they handle every day or respond appropriately in an emergency. Inspectors cited this standard in 188 separate workplaces over the reporting period, making it one of the most pervasive compliance failures across the industry.

5. Powered Industrial Truck Hazards

OSHA Standard 1910.178 – Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts)
244 citations | 176 inspections | $491,324 in penalties

Forklifts and other powered industrial trucks are essential to moving heavy fabricated metal components around shop floors and warehouses, but they’re also a leading cause of fatalities and serious injuries in manufacturing. Workers can be struck, pinned, or run over. Loads can tip or fall. Trucks can drive off docks or through barriers. Pedestrians sharing aisles with forklifts are constantly at risk.

OSHA’s powered industrial truck standard covers operator training and certification, pre-shift safety inspections, load capacity limits, safe operating procedures, and the maintenance and condition of the trucks themselves. It requires that every operator be formally trained and evaluated, and that this certification be refreshed periodically or after any incident.

With 244 citations across 176 inspections, forklift violations appear in the vast majority of facilities inspected in this sector. Common failures include operating forklifts without trained or certified operators, skipping pre-use inspections, operating damaged or defective equipment, failing to maintain safe speeds in pedestrian areas, and not re-evaluating operators after observed unsafe behavior. The penalty total of over $491,000 reflects the elevated risk of serious injury that follows from these failures.

Conclusion

The OSHA citation data for NAICS 332 paints a consistent picture: fabricated metals manufacturing workers are most frequently put at risk by unguarded machines, inadequate energy control during maintenance, poor respiratory protection practices, failures in hazard communication, and unsafe forklift operations. These aren’t obscure or technical compliance failures, they’re fundamental workplace safety obligations that have been well-established for decades.

The aggregate cost to the industry was over $9.3 million in penalties in a single year, a figure that doesn’t begin to capture the human cost of the injuries, illnesses, and fatalities behind these inspections. Employers in this sector should treat this data as a roadmap to the conditions most likely to seriously harm their workers.

About Us

SHIIFT partners with leading companies across multiple industries to deliver training that changes behavior. From live-action and 2D/3D animation to e-learning, VR training, and desktop simulations, we produce content that meets the demands of complex, high-risk environments. Whether you need a high-quality safety training video or a fully immersive simulation for procedures like lockout/tagout, SHIIFT has the capability to deliver it. Contact us