Centurion Insurance Services is pleased to provide our clients with value added information on loss control from our in-house advisor, Rob Brooks. This is part two of a series on OSHA training requirements. In part one, we covered OSHA’s seven mandatory training subjects. Today, we’re diving into additional OSHA training and instructor requirements. This series begins in part one and concludes in part three.
WHAT OTHER TRAININGS ARE REQUIRED BY OSHA?
Some additional trainings apply to specific organizations. This is determined by the type of work activities in which your employees are engaged, and industry group in which you operate. OSHA has more than 50 mandatory training topics, in addition to the subjects we listed in part one of this series. The most important point for an employer to remember is employees only have to be trained on topics to which they could have a workplace exposure. Face respirator training is a good example of specialized training. Only employees who could be exposed to dust or other potentially harmful airborne agents have to be trained. The same training requirements would apply to such diverse subjects as bloodborne pathogens, fall protection and lockout/tagout, as examples.
Does OSHA require instructor qualifications to teach these subjects?
OSHA does not certify or otherwise establish specific trainer requirements for the seven mandatory subjects previously mentioned. Many smaller organizations don’t have safety professionals on staff to conduct this training. In this instance, a manager, HR specialist or supervisor is usually assigned to conduct the training. The instructor should have a reasonable working knowledge of the subject material, and be prepared to answer questions. Some specialized OSHA required training subjects have more specific trainer requirements. OSHA states the employer is responsible for determining if a given instructor is qualified to conduct the training. For other specific OSHA training instructor qualifications, the relevant OSHA standard should be reviewed.
How do we learn about additional OSHA training classes we need to provide our workers?
Centurion maintains a chart identifying OSHA mandatory training subjects. It lists who must take the training and frequency of classes. It also references specific OSHA standards relating to each subject. Centurion is pleased to be provide a copy of this chart by contacting info@centinssvc.com. To view OSHA regulations, visit www.osha.gov, click on Standards, then Laws and Regulations and General Industry. Scroll down to the specific standard for which you’re searching. As the standards are in a numerical sequence, it may take some searching to find the one for which you are looking. If your organization is in the construction, agricultural or maritime industries, please consult those industry specific standards. OSHA also has a 257-page document entitled, “Training Requirements in OSHA Standards.” It can be downloaded for free by clicking here. This document is more user friendly than deciphering the various OSHA standards individually.
Centurion Insurance Services offers a complete loss control advisory program. For more information on OSHA training requirements and other loss control procedures, contact Rob Brooks at
rob.brooks@centinssvc.com or
606-434-0739.