Workers’ rights didn’t really exist until the 19th century. Until then, laborers worked in poor conditions with numerous hazards. Of course, people had to get jobs to meet their basic needs, but in some cases, going to work meant risking one’s life. Thankfully, society’s progression and ongoing labor movements emphasize creating safe workplaces. And safer job sites don’t just protect workers—they also enhance businesses’ success.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, establishes and enforces numerous regulations that create safe, healthy working conditions. Targeting various aspects of the workplace—from practices and relationships to equipment and maintenance—OSHA ensures that companies operate optimal work sites. OSHA training plays a key role in compliance and the implementation of safer, healthier standards at jobsites. Here are seven common questions regarding OSHA training to help you better understand OSHA and its importance.
Is OSHA Training Mandatory?
Under the Department of Labor, OSHA mandates that all companies must create work spaces that are free of harm. Failing to comply with OSHA’s established safety standards can lead to numerous repercussions, such as fines. In some states, however, additional workplace safety regulations may exist on top of those from OSHA. Therefore, OSHA training is mandatory for federal OSHA compliance but not necessarily for individual states’ own health and safety plans.
Additional training topics may exist depending on individual state rules. OSHA simply provides a framework for creating optimal workplace health and safety.
However, most states do follow OSHA’s specific list of standards. In short, OSHA training meets governmental workplace health and safety criteria, and it is mandatory. Only a select few places follow different standards to reach the mandated goal of harm-free work sites, changing the type of training needed.
What Are OSHA’s Training Standards?
OSHA’s specific training standards include specific topics and compliance requirements. These standards help OSHA accomplish its goals of educating others about health and safety on work sites. They also create the base requirements of optimized workplace health and safety. Comprehensive training sessions consist of the following:
Basic Safety Topics
All industries follow the same standards for basic workplace safety. Some of these topics include:
- • Fire protection
- • Emergency plans
- • Administration protocols
- • Electrical safety
- • Building maintenance
- • Staff relationships
- • Ethics and social expectations
On top of the basics, OSHA training should also include industry-specific health and safety regulations. For example, medical businesses must cover exposure risks to bloodborne pathogens and other health-care protocols, which workers in other industries don’t need to learn.
Certification Compatibility
Certification plays a huge part in OSHA compliance. OSHA record-keeping requirements mandate proof of training after it is completed. It’s the last step of the training process and moves one on to the next part of complying with OSHA. Training courses that don’t offer certification of completion can’t help you federally qualify as an OSHA-compliant workplace.
Various Educational Materials
All training sessions must also include specific types of educational materials. One of the main goals of OSHA is to focus on education. When first established, OSHA centered its philosophy around establishing and enforcing workplace health and safety. Educational materials must meet OSHA’s criteria for enforcing safety. In training courses, educational components may include posters, fact sheets, examination guide documents, and brochures.
Safety Plan Applications
OSHA training also features safety plan applications. These applications require companies to come up with specific emergency action plans for emergencies such as fires, evacuations, and various hazard exposures. These safety plans play crucial roles in passing OSHA evaluations, making them important features in the training standards.
Do You Need To Hire a Training Expert?
The Department of Labor does offer volunteer-run courses and teaching conductors. However, OSHA training does not require an expert. Many programs come with specific guides for people to host their own training sessions, allowing you to use one of your own staff members to run on-site classes. Plus, online training also eliminates the need for a training facilitator, creating self-instruction opportunities.
How Many Hours of Training Are Needed for Certification?
Unlike most certifications, qualifying and completing OSHA training does not require a set amount of training hours. Once you complete courses covering the standard OSHA topics and industry-specific protocols, you qualify for certification, passing, and completing training. However, the time it takes to complete a comprehensive OSHA training offering is in the ballpark of 90 minutes.
Do You Need To Get Certified?
OSHA compliance consists of two major steps: training and evaluation. Passing both means you meet government safety standards. After training, you’ll need a certificate proving you accomplished the training courses to proceed to the next part of compliance. If you don’t document your training, you can’t prove to an auditor that training happened; lack of training records automatically fails your assessment during an inspection. Failing to complete OSHA training and evaluation leads to failed compliance and repercussions.
How Often Do You Need To Undergo OSHA Training?
All employees must renew their training certifications every year. Various safety standards adapt, get added on, and change over time. The continuous fluctuation of regulations makes annual training important in ensuring workplaces optimize their working conditions and safety implementations.
Is OSHA Training the Same for Everyone?
No matter the specific job role, all employees must complete OSHA training. It’s recommended that everyone working in the same workplace undergo the same training course to ensure synergy, depending on job role.
Most training sessions are similar between businesses, apart from a few variations that might occur. As long as OSHA training courses cover the necessary topics and meet OSHA standards, they can vary in numerous ways, depending on:
- • The type of industry the job falls under
- • The state’s adaptations of OSHA protocols
- • Specific workspaces such as the type of clinic
- • The program selected
- • Current OSHA regulation standards
- • Length of training
- • When training happens
- • Who conducts training
- • Online or in-person courses
The health and safety of your employees affect numerous aspects of your company. Implementing different means of improving your workplace can benefit your staff and office. For businesses operating in the health-care and medical industries, HIPAA and OSHA training plays especially an important role. It increases a practice’s success, safety, and health and ensures it meets federal requirements. Knowing the most commonly asked questions about OSHA training can help you understand the importance of OSHA and gain better clarity on its processes.
