All organizations, from small to large, are responsible for making sure that their staff is properly trained in the safety standards set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In order to provide adequate training, you will want to work with OSHA Authorized Trainers. My HR Consulting offers Authorized OSHA Training in San Antonio for General Industry standards and procedures.
Purpose of OSHA Training
Under United States Law, workers have the right to a safe workplace. Therefore, employers are obligated to comply with any and all OSHA standards that apply to their industry and should ensure that their employees receive adequate training to help them understand the applicable OSHA standards and maintain a safe working environment.
General Industry OSHA Training in San Antonio
The training requirements for employees vary based on the industry your company works in. Generally speaking, OSHA training falls into these four categories:
- Construction
- Maritime
- Disaster Site
- General Industry – OSHA uses this term to refer to any industry that is not categorized as agricultural, maritime, or construction.
Here at My HR Consulting, we employ trainers who are authorized to conduct General Industry OSHA Training. These authorized trainers conduct classes specially crafted to inform your employees of OSHA standards and general safety.
While most OSHA training is technically voluntary, any workplace accident investigation will include inquiries into whether or not the employee or employees involved received adequate training on safety standards and procedures. That’s why it’s important to make sure that your workers attend a basic 10-hour OSHA training session designed to heighten awareness of common job related health and safety hazards. You may also want to have your employees with safety responsibilities or supervisory duties attend a 30-hour class designed for those roles. Each course has designated training topics set forth by OSHA.
10-Hour General Industry Training
The 10-Hour General Industry Training Topics include seven hours of mandatory training and at least two hours of elective training depending on what your workers need to learn. All elective and optional topics must be covered for at least half an hour. The designated training topics for this course are designed to cover:
- Introduction to OSHA (2 hours) – This introduction includes a range of information that covers workers’ rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint.
- Required Safety Training (5 hours) – The bulk of training is spent on various general safety standards and procedures including walking and working surface safety, exit routes, emergency action plans, fire prevention and protection, electrical safety, personal protective equipment, and hazard communication.
- Elective Safety Training (at least 2 hours) – The elective training portion of the course must cover at least two topics chosen from this list: hazardous materials, material handling, machine guarding, introduction to industrial hygiene, blood borne pathogens, ergonomics, safety and health programs, and fall protection.
- The final hour is classified as optional, and can be used to expand on the mandatory or elective topics or to cover other general industry hazards or policies.
30-Hour General Industry Training
The 30-Hour General Industry Training Topics include thirteen hours of mandatory training and at least ten hours of elective training depending on what your employees need to cover. The designated training topics for this longer course should cover:
- Introduction to OSHA (2 hours) – The OSHA introduction should include information about workers’ rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint.
- Managing Safety and Health (2 hours) – This training focuses on information pertaining to employee oversight. It may include training on job site inspections, accident prevention programs, work site analysis, hazard prevention and control, injury and illness prevention programs, management commitment and employee involvement, accident investigations, how conduct safety meetings, and supervisory communication.
- Required Safety Training (9 hours) – As with the shorter course, the bulk of the training is focused on this area, but the training is often more in depth than that presented in the shorter course. Topics for required safety training include: walking and working surface safety, emergency action plans, exit routes, electrical safety, fire prevention and protection, personal protective equipment, and hazard communication.
- Elective Safety Training (at least 10 hours) – The elective safety training must be at least ten hours in length and cover at least five topics for no less than half an hour each. The topics that may be discussed are: hazardous materials, permit-required confined spaces, lockout/tagout, machine guarding, introduction to industrial hygiene, bloodborne pathogens, ergonomics, fall protection, safety and health programs, powered industrial vehicles, and welding, cutting, and brazing.
- The final seven hours are classified as optional, and should be utilized to expand on elective or mandatory topics or to cover other hazards or policies that may be present in general industries.
These training courses are not typically designed to be industry or company specific, so you will need to make sure that your employees also receive training regarding specific hazards that they may encounter while working for your company.