Since 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has acted as the national public health agency dedicated to assuring safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women. This includes creating and enforcing work-related exposure standards and providing training, assistance, and education.
OSHA also offers a voluntary program, known as OSHA Outreach Training, which is designed to “promote workplace safety and health and to make workers more knowledgeable about workplace hazards and their rights.”
Because the industry classifications with the outreach program include a 10-hour and a 30-hour version, this program is more commonly referred to as OSHA 10/30.
What is the difference between OSHA 10 and OSHA 30?
The 10-hour OSHA Outreach Training is meant to be introductory and is recommended for frontline workers and staff.
OSHA 10 courses provide basic awareness training on the recognition, avoidance, abatement, and prevention of workplace hazards. Employees will learn about safety topics such as eye safety, hazard communication, and bloodborne pathogens.
The 30-hour training course offers a more in-depth breakdown of workplace hazards and employer responsibilities, and is better suited for safety directors, supervisors, and foremen.
The OSHA 30-hour course was designed to be more comprehensive and detailed compared to the 10-hour introductory course. Although OSHA 30 covers some of the same topics as you’d find in OSHA 10, you can expect to learn more about occupational safety regulations, safety and health hazards, and regulations.
Is OSHA 10/30 training required?
The OSHA Outreach Training program is voluntary and is intended to be initial training only. Employers are still responsible for providing continued training to reinforce the concepts presented, and for providing any function-specific safety training relevant to the worker’s role and work environment. OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 do not fulfill the training requirements in specific OSHA standards.
However, despite not being required by OSHA, there are nine states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia) that do require workers to complete the OSHA 10 construction training before they can work on certain types of construction projects.
If you do not work in a state or city that requires a certification card, often referred to as “Department of Labor” or “DOL” cards, you can still get one to verify successful completion of the 10-hour or 30-hour course.
How do I take OSHA 10/30 training?
Classroom training for OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 is possible, but is often difficult to locate and can be a hassle having to make time either to travel to a location or arrange for a trainer to come to your work site.
Instead, there are a handful of OSHA-authorized online Outreach Training providers. Whether you are looking for OSHA 10 for general industry, which serves as a great introduction for nearly any worker, or are interested in the advanced OSHA 30 training for construction, taking online training is much more convenient.
Additionally, online training makes it possible to offer the same OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 training courses to any Spanish-speaking employees without needing to locate another in-person training option.
No matter which version of training you need, know that you can use OSHA 10/30 training to help all your employees become smarter and safer workers, which in turn benefits them, their coworkers and your company in the long run.
