The Ultimate Guide to OSHA 10 Training and Certification | OSHA Outreach Training Program

What is the OSHA Outreach Program?

The OSHA Outreach Program explains workplace hazards, workers’ rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file an OSHA-level complaint.

Its purpose is to promote workplace safety and health as well as help workers become more aware of their rights. The OSHA Outreach Training Program was initiated in 1971 and has grown significantly since then. In recent years, more than five million workers were trained in job hazard recognition and prevention through this program.

Understanding OSHA Training

An important fact about OSHA is that the organization itself does not provide training and certification for employers and employees. The organizations and companies that sell OSHA-compliant training courses are not directly affiliated with OSHA. These offered courses certify employees to perform certain tasks or work in certain environments.

The employer is responsible for creating a safe work environment and ensuring that their employees are properly trained. Employers should choose a reliable retailer that gives the necessary OSHA-compliant information that their employees need.

OSHA Outreach Safety Training Program Benefits

There are many benefits available to both employees and employers when it comes to this program. A few examples of these benefits are:

• The program promotes safety culture through peer training
• Training is intended to be participatory, utilizing hands-on experiences
• Trainers are able to tailor the training topics based on the specific needs of the audience
• Outreach training emphasizes the value of safety and health to employees

What Does the OSHA Outreach Program Entail?

There are three different work industries represented in the OSHA Outreach Training Program. These three industries are:

1. Construction Industry
2. General Industry
3. Maritime Industry

Each work industry in the program has both an OSHA 10-hour course and an OSHA 30-hour course. Both courses cover different topics based on the industry you work in; however, the overall intended purpose for these courses is the same despite the industry.

The OSHA 10-hour training courses teach basic safety and health information to entry-level employees specific to their industry.The OSHA 30-hour training courses provide more variety and in-depth training for employees who have responsibilities over safety in their workplace.This means that this course is intended for supervisor and management level workers. For the sake of this article, we will only be going into the details of the OSHA 10-hour training courses.

OSHA Standards vs. OSHA Outreach Program

It is important to note that the OSHA Outreach Program is voluntary and does not meet the training requirements for any OSHA standards. However, some states and companies might require one or both of the courses as a condition of employment, but it is not required by OSHA.

It is also important to note that the completion of an OSHA 10- or 30-hour course through this program does not substitute other training courses required through OSHA standards.

OSHA 10-Hour Training Course

Each industry has different standards and requirements for different employees and their different jobs and tasks. Therefore, each OSHA 10-hour course covers different topics that are specific to the hazards present in that industry. In the next section, we will dive into the different courses and topics that are covered in each industry-specific course.

The Ultimate Guide to The OSHA-10 Hour Safety Training: Industry Specific

The topics that are covered in the OSHA 10-hour course for the Construction Industry can be broken down into general topics. These topics include:

• Introduction to OSHA: employee rights, employer responsibility, how to file a complaint with OSHA
• OSHA “focus four” hazards: falls, electrocution, struck-by, caught in/between
• Personal protective and lifesaving equipment
• Health hazards in construction
• Cranes, derricks, hoists, elevators, and conveyors
• Excavations
• Handling, storage, usage, and disposal of materials
• Scaffolds
• Hand and power tools

General Industry covers a lot of specific topics that may or may not be present in every workplace within an industry. Some of these topics covered in an OSHA 10 General Industry course include:

• Introduction to OSHA: employee rights, employer responsibility, how to file a complaint with OSHA
• Electrical safety
• Exit routes, emergency action plans (EAPs), and fire prevention
• Walking and working surfaces
• Flammable and combustible liquids
• Personal protective equipment
• Machine guarding
• Hazard communication
• Introduction to bloodborne pathogens
• Safety and health programs
• Safety data sheets (SDSs)
• Hierarchy of controls

The 10-hour OSHA Outreach Program course for the Maritime Industry does not cover as many topics as the other courses. This is only due to the fact that the topics are less generalized than the others so the course delves deeper into maritime specifics.

• Introduction to OSHA: employee rights, employer responsibility, how to file a complaint with OSHA
• Shipyard Employment: ship repairing, shipbuilding, and shipbreaking
• Marine terminals
• Longshoring

OSHA 10-Hour Completion Card

An OSHA card refers to a small, wallet-sized plastic card that shows that you have completed a safety training course. Usually, OSHA cards are associated exclusively with the completion of a 10- or 30-hour safety training course. It is a convenient certification that can be shown at any time to prove that an employee is trained in basic industry-specific training. OSHA cards are not required by OSHA for all employees, but some states and employers may require them.

Here at Hard Hat Training, we offer printable certificates, including a wallet-sized card. These come in a template that can be printed off after completing any of our courses for any topic, not just the generalized 10- and 30-hour safety training courses.

How to Get an OSHA Card

OSHA cards are obtained through a simple process. You begin by selecting which company you want to get your training from and visit their site. From there you will need to:

• Enroll in a training course and complete the training either online or in-person
• Pass a written examination
• Pass a practical examination
• Download the certification and wait for the card to arrive by mail

The process is a bit more lengthy if you obtain training through the Outreach Training Program and can take 2-8 weeks for the card to arrive by mail. Here at Hard Hat Training, the process is relatively easy and quick. Our training kits include the certificate template with the wallet-sized card for you to fill in and print off after the completion of the course.

It is important for you to know that Outreach OSHA cards do not expire, but some states and employers may require employees to retake Outreach training every few years or so.

How to Replace a Lost or Damaged OSHA Card

In order to replace an OSHA card obtained through the Outreach Program, you will need to contact the trainer or OSHA-authorized provider you received either the 10- or 30-hour OSHA course from. Once this information has been passed on to the Outreach trainer, they will contact the OSHA Education Center in order to get you a replacement.

You can only replace your OSHA card once. You will also need to pay a $45 fee for the replacement card. If you lose or damage your card again after that, then you will need to retake the associated OSHA Outreach Training course. If it has been more than five years since you completed the training course and you lose your card, you cannot receive a replacement card. Instead, you will need to retake the course.

If you received your safety training from Hard Hat Training, then replacing your OSHA card is much easier. You can simply print the wallet card out again and you are good to go. If you would like a special laminated version of your card, we offer some hard copy and professional options on our product page.

What Are the Benefits of Having an OSHA Card?

The three major benefits that come with having an OSHA card include:

1. Increased safety throughout the company: By completing the OSHA 10- or 30-hour training, you become 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.
2. Improved job prospects: Successfully completing either training makes you a better job candidate in comparison to someone who has not yet completed these courses.
3. 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.

Hard Hat Training is the Ultimate Resource for Safety Management

There are lots of ways to accomplish safety training that are easy, affordable, and convenient. In the end, safety training should be a blessing, not a burden. That’s why we offer a selection of training methods so that you can choose the most convenient one for your company.

Our Ultimate Goal for Safety Training

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, easy-to-use, and OSHA-compliant training options on the market today.

OSHA-Compliant Courses

All of our courses comply with OSHA standards and contain all of the necessary safety information related to the specific training topic. Our Learning Development and Quality Assurance teams spend hours researching so that we can provide companies with the best and most vital information!

Get Your Certification

Our course catalog presents companies with over 200 training topics, and each course is fully narrated and organized to keep the mind engaged. There are a lot of ways to accomplish OSHA 10 safety training that are easy, affordable, and convenient. We offer our courses in various learning formats. We offer onsite courses, online courses, training kits, and train-the-trainer courses.

Onsite Trainers

Onsite training provides companies with hands-on training experience using their own equipment at their own location. Our trainers have over 15 years of industry experience and are specially trained to provide an in-depth and engaging experience for your employees. Their visit will include:

• A safety presentation
• Case studies
• Live demonstrations
• A post-presentation exam
• Certificates and wallet cards for those who complete training
• Posters
• Signs
• Warning labels

Training Kits

Training employees is a useful skill to have. It ensures that you won’t need to continuously pay fees, as you would when purchasing an online course. Many employers would like to train new employees on their own but aren’t sure how to get started.

Our training kits provide you with everything you need to give a compliant training session on your own. The kit includes everything you would receive with an onsite trainer— presentation, posters, case studies, tests, student manuals— and it provides the employer with unlimited access to our training material. That way, after one purchase, the content is yours to keep, and you can continue to train on your own as new employees come in.

Train the Trainer Courses

If you’re like most people, the thought of purchasing a training kit may seem intimidating. Teaching can be difficult, and it requires sufficient knowledge and skill in order to do it effectively. In addition to our training kits, you can purchase a train-the-trainer course to get you well acquainted with the material.

A train-the-trainer course is designed to help employers become experts in their field. The courses provide a deep dive into the subject of your choosing and can be as brief as a few hours. It focuses on the material you’ll be teaching and how to effectively teach it to an employee.

Upon completing the course, you will receive a certificate, recognizing you as a certified safety trainer. From there, you’ll be set to confidently lead your employees to a safer and happier work environment.

Online Training

Online training is intended for employees who prefer a self-paced experience. There are several instances where, as an employer, it would be wise to purchase an online course as opposed to an in-person training session. Some of these instances include:

• Employees who are trained remotely
• Employees who struggle to pay attention during meetings
• Employees who would rather learn at their own pace
• Employers who don’t plan on providing the same training to new trainees

Online training can have great financial benefits. We offer bulk discounts of up to 75% off, depending on the number of employees in training. Therefore, employers in charge of training a large group might find it easier to enroll their employees in online training.

Our courses are all OSHA-compliant and provide an employee with everything they need to stay safe on the job. Courses come with:

• Quiz questions to review material
• A test at the end of the course
• Certificates for employees who pass the test
• A program that allows employers to monitor employee progress and understanding