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Failing to meet fall protection requirements topped Oregon’s Occupational Safety & Health Division’s list of the top 10 serious safety and health violations for the construction industry in 2013.

Fall protection violations accounted for more than 60 percent of the industry’s top 10 safety violations through Dec. 10, according to Oregon OSHA.

There were 122 violations of the general fall protection rule, which requires workers at 10 feet or higher to have protection from a fall. Initial violation of the rule carries a $131,770 penalty. Other rules that were broken most frequently included requirements for use of ladders, for which there were 76 violations; and protection of employees in excavations, which had 19 violations this year, according to the list. Initial penalties for those offenses are $43,100 and $23,780 for a first offense, respectively, according to Oregon OSHA.

Penalties vary according to the potential for injury or death, said Melanie Mesaros, Oregon OSHA spokeswoman.

“It’s serious because a fall can result in death,” Mesaros said. “It is among the leading causes of serious injuries.”

Exposure to lead, respiratory protection, hazard communication and failure to follow asbestos rules also were among the year’s top 10 serious health violations this year, according to the Oregon OSHA list. Initial penalties for those violations range from $300 to $2,730.