What is an OSHA Card?
OSHA cards are small, wallet-sized cards that can be carried on your person. For more information detailing exactly what an OSHA card is and is not check out our article What is an OSHA card? Everything You Need to Know. To put it simply, they are obtained by completing an OSHA 10 or 30-hour course. OSHA does not consider OSHA cards to be a certification of any kind. Rather, the cards act as proof for your employer that you have completed the training course.
OSHA cards are sometimes called “DOL cards.” This is usually the case if you obtain your OSHA card through the OSHA Outreach Training Program. This is because the trainer who you took the course through will need to report back to the OTI Education Center they volunteer for. From there, the OTI Education Center will reach out to the Department of Labor (DOL), who will then distribute the card to you.
Do I Need an OSHA Card?
OSHA does not require you to have an OSHA card to begin working. Your employer will be the one to determine if you need an OSHA card to begin working or not. OSHA cards do not certify you for work. They merely prove that you have taken a course that has made you aware of workplace hazards and safety measures to prevent injury and death.
Construction companies are most likely to require entry-level employees to receive an OSHA card, most likely by taking an OSHA 10 Construction course. This is due to the high frequency of hazards present in the construction industry. Other workplaces that have serious hazards, such as factories, may require you to obtain an OSHA card by taking an OSHA 10 General Industry course.
How Can I Get an OSHA Card?
OSHA cards are obtained by completing either an OSHA 10 or 30 course. These courses can be taken through a number of third-party retailers, including the OSHA Outreach Training Program. The Outreach Program is a third-party group that works with OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers. OTI Education Centers are authorized by OSHA to deliver health and safety training.
Here at Hard Hat Training, we offer OSHA 10 equivalent courses for both construction and general industry. These courses are completely OSHA Aligned and cover all the same information a course from the Outreach Program would include.
The courses include ten or thirty hours of course material (depending on if you are taking an OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 course), quizzes, a final exam, and a practical exam.
How Long Does it Take for My OSHA Card to Arrive?
If you take an OSHA 10 or 30 course through the Outreach Program, your trainer will have to report back to the OTI Education Center they volunteer for. The Education Center will then forward the information to the Department of Labor and send your card from there once the information has been processed and documented. Overall, this process can take anywhere from two weeks to two months.
However, if you take an OSHA 10 equivalent course through Hard Hat Training, you can print off your OSHA card immediately after completing the course. Check out this related article to find out How Long Are OSHA Cards Good For.
Are There Online OSHA 10 and 30 Training Courses?
OSHA 10 and 30 courses can be taken online, depending on where you take them from. Online courses are cost-effective and self-paced. Here at Hard Hat Training, we offer OSHA 10 construction equivalent and OSHA 10 general industry equivalent courses. Coming soon in the fall of 2022 we will be offering the standard OSHA 10 construction and general industry courses.
OSHA 10 and 30 Courses
OSHA 10 courses are designed for entry-level workers who are unfamiliar with a workplace’s potential dangers. This course covers fundamental safety concepts, typical workplace dangers to look out for, how to address or prevent workplace dangers, and worker rights.
The OSHA 30 courses are designed for managers and staff members who have the special responsibility of managing workplace safety. Compared to the OSHA 10 training, this one is more in-depth and focuses on safety duties.
For the marine, general, and construction industries, there are OSHA 10 and 30 courses available. There aren’t any other fields or subjects that provide OSHA 10 or 30 courses or OSHA cards upon completion.
Does OSHA Have Training Requirements?
OSHA requires all employers to provide a safe work environment for their employees. Sometimes that means that they need to provide their employees with adequate safety training in order to do their job safely. All training needs to be provided and paid for by the employer.
There are very few training requirements otherwise mandated directly by OSHA. This only includes working in certain conditions or certification to operate specific machinery. But many employers do choose to require their employees to take an OSHA 10 course so they are better prepared to face workplace hazards and embrace safety practices.
Is California OSHA 10 Training Different from Regular OSHA 10 Training?
California has its own state plan for health and safety in the workplace known as CalOSHA. The training requirements they have are different and more thorough than those of OSHA in states that do not have a state plan. In order to get an OSHA card for working in California, you will need to take a specific OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 course that covers CalOSHA Requirements.
Do OSHA Cards Expire?
OSHA cards do not expire. However, there are some conditions in which you would need to take the associated OSHA 10 or 30 course again. Your employer may require you to receive refresher training every 1-3 years. Also, if you lose your card, you must retake the course unless you have replaced it before the five-year mark of when you first completed the course.
How Do I Replace a Lost OSHA Card?
You must get in touch with the instructor or OSHA-aligned provider from whom you took the OSHA course if you want to replace an OSHA card you earned via the Outreach Program. After receiving this information, the Outreach trainer will get in touch with their OSHA Education Center to arrange for a substitute for you.
Only one OSHA card replacement is permitted, and there is a $45 replacement card charge. The accompanying OSHA Outreach Training course for the card must be taken again if you lose or damage your card once more after that.
It is significantly simpler to replace an OSHA card that was acquired through one of Hard Hat Training’s courses. You only need to print the wallet card once more to be ready to leave.
What Are The Benefits of Having an OSHA Card?
There are three major benefits that come with having an OSHA card. These three benefits are:
- Increased safety throughout the company – By completing the OSHA 10 or 30-hour training, you are becoming a safer employee. Through these courses, you learn about many different kinds of safety practices that will help to prevent injury and accidents in the workplace.
- Improved job prospects – Successfully completing either training makes you a better job candidate in comparison to someone who has not yet completed these courses.
- Affordable – By becoming a safer employee, you are less likely to cause accidents on the job, thus saving yourself and the company money.
Each individual card comes with its own benefits as well. For example, the OSHA 10 card proves to employers that you have successfully completed the course. By doing so you receive credentials that show you have industry-specific knowledge and skills that help prevent injuries and keep the workplace safe and productive.
Supervisors and safety professionals with an OSHA 30 card have a deep and varied knowledge of workplace safety and health risks. It shows that they have completed 30 hours of training solely focused on avoiding work-related hazards. It also shows that they are prepared to play a key role in building a culture of safety in the workplace.
Where Can I Find OSHA 10-Hour Training?
After reading about all the training standards and certificates, you must be wondering, how can I get started? You are in luck because you can start here at Hard Hat Construction Safety Training where our teams work hard every day to provide you with the best and most affordable training courses!
Our Description of Safety
Here at Hard Hat Training, our goal is to make safety training easy and affordable. Our vision is to help companies minimize accidents and fatalities through consistent in-depth training. Our training materials are frequently updated, enabling us to offer the most thorough, up-to-date, and easy-to-use OSHA Aligned training options on the market today!
OSHA Aligned Online Courses
All of our courses comply with OSHA Requirements and contain all the necessary safety information. Our Content Development and Quality Assurance teams spend hours researching so that we can provide companies with the best and most necessary information! We have OSHA 10 Equivalent (General Industry) and OSHA 10 Equivalent (Construction) safety courses available! Remember OSHA Outreach Courses are required for workers in certain states, specifically: CT, MA, MO, NY, NV, RI, WV. Our equivalent courses listed above are intended for workers who are NOT IN one of those seven states but are interested in the same level of training. We do not offer OSHA 30-hour courses at the moment.
Our course catalog presents companies with over 200 training topics with each course being fully narrated and organized to keep the mind engaged. Our narration reads exactly what is written down to help any employees who have visual or hearing impairments. We also offer all of our courses in Spanish!
Our Courses
We offer our courses in different types of learning formats. We offer in-person courses, online courses, training kits, as well as our unique train-the-trainer courses!
Specifically for OSHA 10 and 30-hour courses, we offer the option for you to receive your certificate on a wallet-sized card, which is convenient for employees who must carry it with them at all times.
Here’s Your Sign
Here is your sign to get OSHA certified today. Taking an OSHA 10 or 30-hour course benefits you, as an employee, and the company you are working for in many ways. Reach out to our customer service team today to get OSHA certified!
Official OSHA Outreach Cards
First of all, an OSHA card is a simplified way of referring to the completion of the OSHA Outreach Training Program’s 10-hour and 30-hour safety training courses. Upon completion of one of these courses, an OSHA-authorized trainer issues you a course completion card.
Which Card Do You Need?
According to OSHA, “The 30-hour course is intended for supervisors or for workers with some safety responsibility,” and “The 10-hour course is intended for entry-level workers.” (OSHA) You will choose which course to take based on the type of industry you work in and the responsibilities you have in your company. Talk to your employer about the best option for you.
Why Get an OSHA Card?
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- Increased Company Safety: By obtaining safety training, you are becoming a safer employee. In the OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour courses, you learn various safe practices that will prevent injury and accident on the job site. Imagine how much safer it would be if everyone in your company took the appropriate safety training.
- Improved Job Prospects: While OSHA does not require that you take a 10-hour or 30-hour course, some states (CT, MA, MO, NY, NV, RI, WV), employers, unions, and organizations require them. Receiving job-appropriate training shows that you are more equipped to operate safely on the job site. So, why not take the OSHA 10-hour or 30-hour course? That training makes you a better job candidate in comparison to another person who hasn’t been trained.
- Added Savings: While this is less measurable, by becoming a safer employee and not causing accidents on the job, you are saving yourself and your company money. Between damaged equipment and medical expenses, accidents and injury on the job are extremely costly for yourself and your employer. By learning how to avoid accidents, you are ensuring that you won’t have to worry about these costs in the future.
There you have it! OSHA cards benefit both employers and employees.
If you are interested in taking an official OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 course, we are currently working to be able to offer these courses. To be the first to know when they are available please fill out the form below, we will email you when they’re ready to go.
Be The First To Know When OSHA Outreach Courses Are Available
Good luck, and stay safe!