The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced its selection of 10 OSHA authorized training providers to deliver 25 online courses as part of its Outreach Training Program. The OSHA Outreach Training Program teaches workers how to identify, prevent, and eliminate workplace hazards. The program also informs workers of their rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint.

“We are pleased to announce the selection of these online training providers,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. “These high-quality online courses will allow a greater number of workers to receive valuable interactive training supported by safety professionals — especially in remote areas with limited access to standard classrooms.”

The online courses are voluntary and are not required by OSHA, but they provide training that can help protect workers’ safety and health and help employers reduce the high costs of worker injuries and illnesses. Workers must also receive additional training on hazards specific to their job.

The organizations selected by OSHA to offer the online courses will provide a variety of 10 and 30 hour classes designed for Construction, General Industry, and Maritime. Since OSHA began authorizing training providers to offer Web-based distance learning in 2001, the online Outreach Training Program has grown significantly. More than 135,000 workers were trained online in 2011 - a five-fold increase from the number of online students trained in 2007. Access to courses and other information about the program are available at http://s.dol.gov/L6.

Today’s selections are the culmination of a national competition announced last March. The newly selected OSHA-authorized Outreach Training Program online training providers are:

Construction 10-Hour: AdvanceOnline Solutions, CareerSafe, ClickSafety, Compliance Solutions, PureSafety, Safety Unlimited, Texas Engineering Extension Service
Construction 10-Hour Spanish: ClickSafety and PureSafety
Construction 30-Hour: AdvanceOnline Solutions, ClickSafety, PureSafety, Texas Engineering Extension Service, Turner Knowledge Network
General Industry 10-Hour: AdvanceOnline Solutions, CareerSafe, ClickSafety, North Carolina State University, PureSafety, Safety Unlimited, Texas Engineering Extension Service
General Industry 30-Hour: AdvanceOnline Solutions, ClickSafety, PureSafety
Maritime 10-Hour: Moxie Media

Early last month an announcement was made that the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers  will begin charging OSHA Outreach instructors $5 per each OSHA 10 and 30 Hour card they generate.  The letters to all the Outreach Instructors stated that beginning October 1, 2011 the OTI Education Centers, as a group, will begin charging the fee for each student course completion card issued.

From a historical perspective, OSHA began the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center Program in 1992.  Since that time, the OSHA Outreach Training Program has grown exponentially, from 51,000 students trained in 1992 to 781,000 students trained in 2010.  While  the training numbers increased, OSHA did not have the resources needed to process the increasing number of student cards.

In 2003 OSHA began to require the Education Centers to process requests for student course completion cards.  Even though this alleviated the burden for OSHA, it proved to have a significant impact on the administrative workload for the Centers.  On average, the 25 OTIEC’s process 1,000 requests for student course completion cards each week.  In the past two years, Ed Centers have processed over 1.3 million student course completion cards.  When the number of trained workers increases, so does the administrative responsibility for the OTI Education Centers.

The standard letter went on to say that in addition to the work it takes to receive, review, process, and distribute each card request in a timely manner, OTIEC’s are also responsible for maintaining recordkeeping, reporting, and filing systems required to service trainers and to provide the controls which OSHA deems necessary.  The OTI Education Centers have developed electronic reporting systems to enable easier reporting for trainers and have maintained websites to inform trainers of any changes to the Program and to provide necessary assistance in their training efforts.  Recently, OSHA has stipulated that all Education Centers increase their program monitoring activity, including in-person training observations, to improve instructional quality and limit fraud.  This additional oversight required by OSHA has further added to the OTI Education Centers’ cost of administering the Program.

According to the letter, it has always been OSHA’s position that because the Education Centers receive no funding from OSHA, the Centers have the authority to charge fees to cover the costs involved in issuing student course completion cards.  Some Education Centers are now offering to complete the cards for the Outreach instructors as part of this fee.  Others are not.   OSHA has remained silent on the matter and as of yet not posted this information on their Outreach trainer web page.

Federal OSHA released the long awaited revisions to its voluntary Outreach Training Program (OSHA 10 and 30 Hour Training) requirements and procedures.  In a press release on Friday April 15th OSHA states it intended to improve the quality of outreach classes and ensure the integrity of its authorized trainers.

In an attempt to put more teeth in the program OSHA has changed the name of the guidance document for 10 and 30 hour training from  “program guidelines,” to the new “program requirements” applying to all Outreach Training Programs, with separate procedures for each specific program. The new requirements include a stricter trainer code of conduct and a Statement of Compliance which requires each trainer to verify that the training they conduct will be in accordance with the Outreach Training Program requirements and procedures.

Other program enhancements involve limiting classroom size maximum from 50 down to 40 students and a minimum size of three students per class.  They have greatly limited the use of translators, requiring those who provide translation to having prior safety and health experience and doubling the length of the class when a translator is used.  Therefore now an OSHA 30 hour that uses a translator must take 60 classroom hours to complete.  The new requirement also limits the amount of time spent on videos during the training to no more than 25% of the class. Also, OSHA has imposed limits on outreach training conducted outside of the agency’s jurisdiction.   There is a much stricter timeline for the number of hours a trainer can train, all the way to requiring breaks and lunch time with no more “working lunches” allowed.

OSHA is also requiring that trainers issue OSHA course completion cards to students within 90 days of class completion. Furthermore, trainers are now required to provide the card directly to the student no matter who pays for the class.  OSHA has also added record requirements, imposed tougher advertising restrictions, and revised the rules for using guest trainers.

The content of the training classes has also been changed, forcing all classes to have a mandatory two hour “Introduction to OSHA” section that requires the trainer to show the students how to file a complaint with OSHA.  All construction classes are required to include four hours on Focus Four Hazards. All 30-hour classes must include a new two hour module on Managing Safety and Health, yet OSHA doesn’t lay out what is expected of the trainer to present in this module.

The 2010 offering for the OSHA 500, 501, 502, 503, 510 and 511 classes held in Louisville were a huge success.  Eastern Kentucky University and Advanced Safety & Health have committed to conduct these classes throughout 2011 and beyond.  To see the 2011 schedule click here. 

So, for those of you wanting to become OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainers in either the General Industry or Construction programs or for those needing your four year renewal, we offer a much more convenient class location for those residing in the Louisville area or for those who would enjoy coming to the Derby City. 

Click here for more details on the EKU OSHA Training Institute Education Center website. You can call Josh Dahl to register for any of these classes at 859-622-2961 or email him at Josh.Dahl@EKU.EDU.

OSHA made revisions to its policy for all Outreach Training Programs to address the number of hours each day a student may spend in OSHA 10- and 30-hour classes. OSHA revised the length of daily classroom instruction.

Revised program policy now requires OSHA trainers to limit worker training classes to a maximum of 7½ hours per day. Before OSHA made this change, there were no limitations on how long these classes could last each day. With 10 hours of training, along with necessary breaks and lunch, students could sit in classes for up to 13 hours a day. OSHA became concerned that long, mentally-fatiguing class days might cause students to miss essential safety and health training.

Another concern was that, in some cases, one- and three-day training classes were not meeting 10- and 30-hour program time requirements. This concern became evident after OSHA conducted random records audits and unannounced monitoring visits.

To address these issues, the agency now requires OSHA outreach trainers to conduct 10-hour courses over a minimum of two days and 30-hour courses over at least four days. The agency also set up an outreach fraud hotline at 847-725-7810 to which the public can call to file complaints about program fraud and abuse.

This policy change is effective immediately and will be reflected in the next revision of the Outreach Training Program Guidelines. OSHA will not recognize training classes that exceed 7½ hours per day or do not meet all program content requirements. In such cases trainers will not receive completion cards to distribute to students. Trainers may, however, submit written requests for exceptions to limiting training days to 7½ hours based on extenuating circumstances.

The Outreach Training Program, a voluntary participation information resource, is part of OSHA’s Directorate of Training and Education, comprises a national network of more than 17,000 independent trainers who teach workers and employers about OSHA, workers’ rights and how to identify, avoid and prevent workplace hazards. There are 10- and 30-hour outreach classes for construction, general industry and maritime and 16-hour classes for disaster site workers. Students who successfully complete classes receive completion cards.

 REGISTER NOW TO GET OUR REDUCED EARLY BIRD RATES FOR OSHA CLASSES!

If you would like to see our complete training calendar, click here or contact Jamie Jarboe at 502-240-6910 for more information or to register. All classes are normally held at our office in Louisville, KY. If you enroll and make payment up to two weeks prior to the course, you will qualify for our low Early Bird Rate! 

OSHA 10 Hour General Industry: Tuesday, September 21 & Wednesday, September 22

We offer small classes and personalized attention to help you receive the information you need. This two day program is designed for personnel from all types of industries to present general information on how the provisions of the OSHAct may be implemented in the workplace.

OSHA 30 Hour General Industry: Monday, October 18 to Friday, October 22

This one week program is also designed for personnel from many types of industries. It covers in detail the provisions of the OSHAct and how to implement them in the workplace. Safety managers and others with safety responsibilities are the target audience. Hazard identification, avoidance, and control are emphasized.

The OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Eastern Kentucky University is conducting OSHA Train-the-Trainer courses at the Indiana Wesleyan University Louisville Kentucky Education and Conference Center this fall. OSHA 500 - Trainer Course for Construction will be held November 16-19th (Refresher class OSHA 502 November 16th-18th) and OSHA 501 - Trainer Course for General Industry will be held December 14-17th (Refresher class OSHA 503 December 14th-16th).

These courses are designed for personnel interested in teaching the 10- and 30-hour Safety and Health Outreach Program to their employees and other interested groups. Special emphasis is placed on those topics that are required in the 10- and 30-hour programs as well as on those most hazardous, using the OSHA Standards as a guide.

Participants are briefed on effective instructional approaches and the effective use of visual aids and handouts, and engage in practice teaching modules. Students who wish to participate as authorized trainers in the OSHA Outreach Training Program must prepare a presentation on an assigned topic individually or as part of a group and successfully pass both a performance test and a knowledge test at the end of the course. Upon successful completion, the student will be authorized as an OSHA Outreach Trainer. This authorization is effective for four years.

Prior to attending either of the trainer courses, participants must complete the applicable standards course (OSHA 510 - Construction Standards or OSHA 511 - General Industry Standards) and have at least five years of safety experience in the appropriate field. A college degree in occupational safety and health, a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) designation in the applicable training area may be substituted for two (2) years of experience.

More information about these upcoming classes can be found at: http://www.ceo.eku.edu/osha/doc/Louisville_2010_Flyer.pdf .

OSHA 10 and 30 Hour Training now requires a two hour “Intro to OSHA” with emphasis on workers’ rights.

“Introduction to OSHA,” a revised training component with a huge emphasis on workers’ rights, is now required content in every OSHA 10 and 30 hour Outreach Training Program class. This was developed because of the Secretary of Labor’s desire to “strengthen the voice of workers”.

During the 10 and 30 hour outreach training program classes, OSHA trainers will now be required to spend a significant amount of time on the topics of whistleblower rights and filing a complaint and will provide samples of the weekly fatality and catastrophe report, a material data safety sheet, and the OSHA Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.

This is the first time OSHA has developed a PowerPoint presentation for these widely used programs that trainers are required to use.  There are also twelve handouts that the trainer must utilize in the training. 

According to OSHA’s Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA David Michaels:  “For too long workers have avoided making claims of unsafe work conditions out of fear of losing their jobs, we are confident that this new training will embolden workers to speak up when they find work practices that endanger their lives and the lives of their co-workers.”

Opponents to the change claim all this information is and was already a component of the 10 and 30 hour training. The level of coverage is now disproportionate to the level of the overall program and takes valuable time away from the true intent of the training, which has always been hazard recognition and avoidance.  Another major objection is that one item in the new introduction to OSHA is how to read a Material Safety Data Sheet.  Most trainers cover this in the Hazard Communication section of the training, already a required element. 

The OSHA Outreach Training Program is a voluntary program that seeks to teach workers about their rights and how to identify, reduce, avoid, and prevent job-related hazards. The program includes 10 and 30 hour courses in construction, general or maritime industry safety, and health hazard recognition and prevention; classes are taught through a network of OSHA-authorized trainers. Over the past three years, nearly two million students have received this training, and several states have made the program mandatory for some workers. 

#501 - Trainer Course in OSHA Standards for General Industry, April 27-30, 2010 in Louisville, KY

This course is designed for personnel in the private and public sector interested in teaching the OSHA 10- and 30-hour general industry safety and health outreach program to their employees and other interested groups. Special emphasis is placed on those topics that are required in the 10- and 30-hour programs as well as on those that are the most hazardous, using OSHA standards as a guide. Course participants are briefed on effective instructional approaches and the effective use of visual aids and handouts. This course allows the student to become a trainer in the Outreach Program and to conduct both a 10- and 30-hour general industry safety and health course and to issue cards to participants verifying course completion. Prerequisites: Course #511 and five years of general industry safety experience. A college degree in occupational safety and health, a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) designation, in the applicable training area may be substituted for two years of experience. NOTE: Students in Course #501 who wish to participate as authorized trainers in the Outreach Program must successfully pass a written exam at the end of the course. Outreach trainers are required to attend Course #503 at least once every four years to maintain their trainer status.

#503 - Update for General Industry Outreach Trainers, April 27-29, 2010 in Louisville, KY

This course is designed for private sector personnel who have completed course #501 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry and who are active trainers in the outreach program. It provides an update on OSHA general industry standards and OSHA policies. Prerequisites: Course #501. NOTE: Outreach trainers are required to attend this course once every four years to maintain their trainer status. Students must bring their current trainer’s card for validation.

To register please contact Josh Dahl at with Eastern Kentucky University at (859)622-2961 or josh.dahl@eku.edu

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Release Number: 09-917-NAT
Aug. 6, 2009
Contact: Diana Petterson
Phone: 202-693-1898

OSHA establishes “Watch List” to strengthen integrity of Outreach Training Program

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), in an effort to crack down on fraudulent trainers, is continuing to strengthen the integrity of its 36-year-old Outreach Training Program by publishing an “Outreach Trainer Watch List” of those who have had their trainer authorizations either revoked or suspended.

OSHA recently conducted an undercover investigation as part of its heightened effort to address fraudulent activity by trainers authorized through the OSHA Outreach Training Program. The investigation of a 10-hour course conducted by Don Barker, environmental health and safety director for Thor Construction in Las Vegas, revealed several examples of failure to comply with program guidelines. Barker’s infractions included submitting falsified information regarding the instructional time spent on the topics, failing to collect and retain required documentation and inappropriately advising students not to contact OSHA to report hazards.

OSHA revoked Barker’s Outreach Training authorization after he declined to appeal the decision and his name has been added to the “Watch List” on OSHA’s Web site. The “Watch List,” available at http://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/construction_generalindustry/watchlist.html, will be updated weekly. OSHA is monitoring training programs and has provided a hotline at 847-297-4810 for individuals to file complaints about fraud and abuse.

“Trainers who fail to provide appropriate safety training will pay a stiff price for their fraudulent behavior,” said Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. “A tighter record control procedure has been instituted requiring trainers to sign their reports and certify the class was conducted in accordance with OSHA’s guidelines. Trainers face civil and criminal penalties under federal law if reports or certifications are found to have been falsified.”

Trainers are authorized by completing a one-week OSHA trainer course through an OSHA Training Institute Education Center. The trainers are then eligible to teach 10-hour programs that provide basic information to workers and employers about workplace hazards and OSHA, and 30-hour courses in construction, maritime and general industry safety and health hazards.

The voluntary Outreach Training Program has grown to a national network of more than 16,000 independent trainers eligible to teach workers and employers about workplace hazards and provide OSHA 10-hour course completion cards. The program’s success has prompted some states and cities to legislate a requirement that workers complete training to earn an OSHA 10-hour card as a condition of employment.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA’s role is to promote safe and healthful working conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; and providing training, outreach and education. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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