CHANGES TO OSHA TRAINING REQUIREMENTS MEAN MORE DAYS IN THE CLASSROOM

AUGUST 24, 2010 – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a new policy to the OSHA Training Institute and to the Outreach Trainers a few days ago that could have a big impact on the way employers structure their safety training for OSHA 10 and 30 Hour classes.

The new rule limits the amount of training that may be provided each day to 7.5 hours for OSHA 10 and 30 Hour classes in both Construction and General Industry. This means that the 10 Hour Training now requires at least two days to complete rather than one long 10 hour day, and the 30 Hour training will require at least four days.

This will force some adjustment on those employers who bring in employees from multiple locations to attend this type of training, as it now requires an overnight stay, or adds an extra overnight stay to the overall cost of the training. The trainer now must cover additional expenses, and employees have additional lodging and meals.

There is no change in the total amount of required classroom hours, only to the way the hours are spaced. The total hours spent on each subject are also not changed with this ruling, but OSHA did mandate an expanded “Introduction to OSHA” training module in June.

One way employers may choose to offset the cost of the new training requirements, is to make a move toward nontraditional training formats. Probably the most common, and the easiest to manage, is online, web-based training. Employees can work at their own pace as production allows, and they only need computer access to complete the programs, eliminating the need for travel and disrupted workflow entirely. Students have six months to complete the coursework. CSR offers web-based training through its website at www.csrsafety.com for Construction and General Industry 10 and 30 Hour courses. Upon completion, students receive a standard OSHA completion card from an Authorized Outreach Instructor.

For employers that still want the personal experience of a live trainer onsite, CSR can provide an Authorized Trainer to customize the training to the specific needs of the company, and insure that relevant topics are covered. Please visit us at CSR, and we will provide you with a quote to suit your needs.