Alaska Leads U.S. in Chemical Safety Failures; Maryland, Delaware Follow

OSHA enforcement data from 2021 through 2025 reveals persistent failures in chemical safety compliance across the U.S. The Hazard Communication Standard-established in 1983 to ensure workers know chemical risks-remains one of OSHA’s most frequently cited rules.

Alaska ranked first with 44.7 HazCom violations per 100,000 workers. Most cases involved missing chemical safety training in health care and social assistance facilities.

Maryland ranked second (39.0 per 100k), Delaware third (26.5), and Tennessee fourth (22.2). Construction and manufacturing dominated violation industries; ‘no written safety plan’ and ‘missing chemical safety training’ were the top two deficiencies.

Penalties totaled over $1 million in Maryland and Kansas. Vermont recorded the lowest violation rate among the bottom ten-11.2 per 100k-but still reflects systemic gaps in hazard communication execution.