Employee OSHA Required Safety Training

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to “comply with occupational safety and health standards” described in the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Well over 100 OSHA standards require some form of training. To assist employers to meet training requirements, OSHA produced Publication 2254, Training Requirements in OSHA Standards and Training Requirements. This publication is a consolidation of training requirements in five major areas; general industry, the maritime, construction and agricultural industries, as well as training for federal employees.

General Industry

• General industry training requirements cover subjects that apply to virtually every employee, regardless of occupation. Emergency and fire prevention plans enable employees to know how to prevent fire hazards and to react to a fire if one occurs.

  Hazardous waste training involves handling, storage and transportation. How to react to a spill is also covered. Personal protective equipment (PPE) training is required for anyone exposed to a hazardous environment. Types of PPE include ear plugs, safety glasses, helmets, gloves and respirators.

  Training on recognizing the purpose of warning signs and labels, as well as lock out tags on equipment under maintenance is important. General welding safety training includes the proper use of welding equipment and the knowledge to avoid injury.

  Safe use of powered equipment, including hand tools, vehicles and production line industrial equipment is often done in conjunction with prevention of and reaction to electrical injuries. First aid training allows for a first response effort by fellow employees until paramedics arrive on the scene.

Maritime Industry

• The maritime industry includes employees engaged in shipyard, marine terminal and long-shoring activities. Training in specific areas in addition to the training requirements under the general industry standards is required.

  Commercial divers require special training and certification to be considered qualified. The duties of these divers include such activities as repair and salvage operations.

  Being aboard a maritime vessel includes spending time in confined and enclosed spaces. Employees must be trained to recognize and react to possible hazards, such as a toxic or a flammable atmosphere, and the proper use of the appropriate PPE.

Construction Industry

• In addition to the general industry requirements, the construction industry is required to conduct safety training in industry specific subjects. Woodworking safety training includes the proper operation of woodworking machinery, such as saws. Proper construction of and use of ladders, scaffolds, cranes and derricks is emphasized in training to prevent people and objects from falling.

  Excavations can be extremely hazardous. Hazards include being run over by equipment, objects such as pipe falling, as well as cave ins and floods. Training emphasizes avoiding hazards and procedures for escaping from a cave in or a flood.

Agricultural Industry

• Most of the training in the agricultural industry is the same as the general industry requirements. Training specific to this industry includes operation of equipment with “roll-over protective structures (ROPS)”. This training is basically a defensive driving course for farm equipment.

Federal Employees

• Safety and health inspectors are trained to visit work sites and ensure employers are in compliance with the OSHA standards. This area also outlines the requirements to conduct manager and supervisor training, so that they in turn can train their employees.