OSHA Training

OSHA Training Requirements: What Does Your Company Need to Know?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) believes that training is an essential part of every employer’s safety and health program for protecting workers from injuries and illnesses. That’s why OSHA training standards require employers to instruct employees in the safety and health aspects of their jobs. Other OSHA training standards make it employers’ responsibility to limit certain job assignments to only those employees who are “certified,” “competent,” or “qualified”—meaning that the employees have already had appropriate training, inside or outside the workplace.

Specific OSHA Training Requirements

There are many OSHA training standards. Here are just a few of the training requirements related to hazardous substances:

• Hazard Communication Standard. This OSHA training requirement states that employers must provide information and training to employees who work in areas where hazardous chemicals are present. Such training must be provided at the time of initial assignment and whenever a new physical or health hazard is introduced into an employee’s work area. The information and training given to employees includes such issues as requirements of the standard, operations in the work area where hazardous chemicals are present, and measures employees can take to protect themselves.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This OSHA training requirement states that before being allowed to perform work requiring PPE, employees must be trained in and demonstrate understanding of such issues as when PPE is necessary, what PPE is necessary, how to properly wear PPE, and limitations of PPE.
• Respirator Training. This OSHA training requirement says that employees required to wear respirators must receive training that covers, among other issues, reasons for respirator use, proper fit and maintenance for respirators, situations requiring respirator use, capabilities and limitations of respirators.
• Employee Exposure and Medical Records. Under this OSHA training requirement, employees must receive initial training and annual refresher training regarding the existence, location, and availability of all exposure and medical records, the person responsible for maintaining and providing access to the records, and each employee’s rights of access to the records.
• Process Safety. According to this OSHA training requirement, employees involved in operating a process or before being newly assigned to a process must receive training in that process. At a minimum, the training must cover the process’s specific safety and health hazards, emergency operations, and safe work practices.

OSHA Training Stresses Refreshers, Records

Many OSHA training standards state that employers must provide refresher training at specific intervals, and keep records of all safety and health training they have provided. Records can provide evidence of the employer’s good faith and compliance with OSHA standards. Documentation allows companies to be able to assure OSHA accident investigators that they had, indeed, provided the proper safety training to employees who were injured on the job.