Safety Training: Your Top Questions Answered

One of the most challenging areas for any environmental, health, and safety (EHS) professional is safety training. What does OSHA require and how much time do you have to spend on it? Following are some of the most popular questions we receive.

What OSHA training is required for my employees?

Unfortunately, there’s no one regulation that pertains to training. Requirements can be found in individual regulations in 29 CFR 1910 (general industry, which essentially encompasses anything that’s not construction, agriculture, or maritime); 29 CFR 1926 (construction); 29 CFR 1915 (shipyard employment); 29 CFR 1917 (marine terminals); 29 CFR 1918 (longshoring); and 29 CFR 1928 (agriculture).

Training on a particular topic depends on whether it applies to work your employees are performing. While all employees must know how to report an injury or illness and what to do in an emergency like a fire or tornado, other training requirements will vary. For example, if employees are exposed to hazardous chemicals, they need training under the Hazard Communication Standard at 1910.1200.

What if a regulation doesn’t mention training?

While some regulations don’t explicitly mention training, delivering some training is clearly necessary. For example, employees need to understand how to safely operate machinery, including how guards work. They also need to understand how to safely use electrical equipment, and they should know exit routes cannot be blocked, and so on.

Are we required to give employees a quiz or test after training?

OSHA doesn’t require this, so it’s up to employer discretion. However, it’s a great way to determine if employees understand the material presented.

How much time do we have to spend on training?

In most instances, OSHA doesn’t require that a specific amount of time be devoted to training. An exception is the HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response) standard at 1910.120. As a best practice, check the individual regulation to see if there are time requirements.

What training records must be kept?

Any record retention requirements are found in the individual regulations, i.e., 1910.147. However, many regulations don’t mention training records. It’s a best practice to maintain training records even when they’re not specifically required. In the event of an inspection, this shows a good faith effort to train employees, and it also helps keep your training program organized. 

Who needs OSHA 10- and 30-hour training?

Federal OSHA doesn’t require that employees take 10- or 30-hour training; however, some states, municipalities, or employers may require it as a condition of employment. States that have some requirements around this type of training (most often for construction, but not exclusively) are Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.

What’s the difference between OSHA 10- and 30-hour training?

The 10-hour training program is designed for general industry workers, warehousing and manufacturing employees, foremen and job supervisors, and inspectors involved in general industry activities.

The 30-hour training program is intended to provide supervisors and/or workers with some safety responsibility a greater depth and variety of training.