Thomas Safety Solutions, Inc.

Training 

Many standards put in place and published by OSHA explicitly require the employer to train employees in the workplace safety and health aspects of their jobs. Other OSHA standards make it the employer's responsibility to limit certain job assignments to employees who are "certified", "competent", or "qualified", meaning that they have had special previous training. The term "designated" personnel means selected or assigned by the employer or the employer's representative as being qualified to perform specific duties. These requirements reflect OSHA's belief that workplace safety training is an essential part of every employer's safety and health program for protecting workers from injuries and illnesses. Many researchers conclude that those who are new on the job have a higher rate of accidents and injuries than more experienced workers. If ignorance of specific job hazards and of proper work practices is even partly to blame for this higher injury rate, then training will help to provide a solution.

The length and complexity of OSHA standards may make it difficult to find all the references to training. So, to help employers, safety and health professionals, training directors, and others with a need to know, OSHA's training-related requirements have been excerpted and collected in this discussion. Requirements for posting information, warning signs, labels, and the like are excluded, as are most references to the qualifications of people assigned to test workplace conditions or equipment.

It is usually a good idea for the employer to keep a record of all workplace safety and health training. Records can provide evidence of the employer's good faith and compliance with OSHA standards. Documentation can also supply an answer to one of the first questions an accident investigator will ask: "Was the injured employee trained to do the job?"

Workplace safety training in the proper performance of a job is time and money well spent, and the employer might regard it as an investment rather than an expense. An effective program of safety and health training for workers can result in fewer injuries and illnesses, better morale, and lower insurance premiums, among other benefits.

The OSH Act of 1970 does not address specifically the responsibility of employers to provide workplace health and safety information and instruction to employees, although Section 5(a)(2) does require that each employer " . . . shall comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act." However, more than 100 of the Act's current standards do contain training requirements.

Thomas Safety Solutions, Inc. provides high quality professional development training and education for all levels of management, supervision, and employees that meet and exceed OSHA’s Training Requirements at your location. We provide workplace safety training seminars to our clients ranging from OSHA required training to advanced safety training, by an OSHA authorized trainer.

For more information on this topic, feel free to contact Thomas Safety Solutions, or visit www.ThomasSafetySolutions.com and click on “Training.”