The OSHA General Industry 10 and 30 hour outreach training programmes provide basic training in health and safety, and offer a good starting point for compliance with OSHA policies. The outreach training program is not something that will, by itself, fulfil an employer’s training requirement �” but it does help the employer understand how to do so.
The OSHA 10 and 30 hour training programs offer information about the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers, and they offer a lot of information that will help an employer to educate their employees. These training programs are voluntary, at least on a federal level, however some municipalities or states may require that people in certain professions have the training.
This program allows workers to attend a 10 hour or 30 hour long series of classes that are delivered by an OSHA training partner. The ten hour long class covers the most common health hazards and safety problems that are likely to crop up in any industry. The 30 hour program covers the same content and then moves on to things that are more relevant to supervisors and to those who have some safety responsibilities. When you take this training program, you will learn about the kind of hazards that workers face in their day to day jobs, and will learn how to fix them as well as how to proactively identify hazards in your own workplace and stop them.
In addition to the general industry training, there are specific courses that cover disaster site workers, maritime, and the construction industry. These courses are not mandatory either, but they are things that workers and employers should definitely consider taking to protect the workforce.
The outrach training program covers workers’ rights, how a worker can file a complaint, and the responsibilities of the employer. The program offers information about how to promote a culture of safety in the workplace via peer training, and it aims to be as engaging as possible by offering hands-on activities and participatory education. Trainers will have the chance to tailor what attendees learn, by talking to their audience and using examples or answering questions based upon the industries they are in and the level of understanding that the audience has.
The outreach content starts with the most basic things that younger and less experienced workers may need to know, and covers worker rights, hazard recognition, hazard avoidance, and ways of making the workplace safer.
It must be emphasized that neither program is a comprehensive safety course that is suitable for any specific workplace, and it is not a briefing on OSHA standards either. It would take far more than 30 hours to cover everything that a worker would need to know. Rather, these courses are intended to offer an insight into how to control and prevent safety issues, and how to identify and avoid hazards.
The trainers are fully qualified, and they are trained in OSHA standards. They are required to go on their own refresher course every four years, and they have a broad understanding of the OSHA rules across several different industries.
Working with the OSHA via one of these courses is a good way to ensure that you get the best possible training for your employees. It is a good idea for business owners to attend these courses, and also to send senior staff. Those staff can then reinforce a culture of safety and best practice amongst their peers and within their own departments.
In many small companies, the prevailing attitude is that health and safety is little more than red tape that gets in the way. This should not be the case. It may take a long time to change those attitudes, but if it can be done then everyone would benefit through better health and morale, a less stressful environment, and a culture where people take pride in a job well done. You, as an employer, can start that by promoting a culture of health and safety in your office, production plant or workshop. Small changes implemented early on can make a huge difference to how your employees approach their day to day jobs.