Answers to Your OSHA 10 Hour Training Questions

On-the-job injuries and illnesses cost US businesses 1 billion dollars per week, according to the 2016 Liberty Mutal Workplace Safety Index. With losses this staggering, it’s no wonder EHS professionals take safety training seriously. OSHA maintains a number of safety standards that address on-the-job hazards, ranging from fire safety to handling explosives, from using a respirator to operating certain machines, and much, much more.

Protect your team with the convenient, interactive OSHA 10-Hour Online Course for general industry employees. The course prepares employees to identify the hazards they face on the job and take steps to protect themselves and their co-workers.

Still, one of the most talked-about types of safety training is one for which there is no OSHA standard at all: 10-hour General Industry Training. Understanding 10-hour training, who needs it, and what that training must cover can be a challenge, since there is no prescriptive requirements to be found in the 29 CFR regulations. The following frequently asked questions are designed to help safety and EHS managers provide 10-hour training that helps ensure employees return home safely at the end of each day.

What Is General Industry?

OSHA uses the term “general industry” to encompass many industry sectors: manufacturing, distribution, retail, research and development, and many more. With respect to OSHA 10-hour training requirements, “general industry” means any workplace other than construction, maritime, or disaster sites.

Who Needs OSHA 10-hour Training?

The 10-hour General Industry training is not designed for any one category of employees. In fact, 10-hour training is rather broad in scope and intended for employees who are new to the workforce. Compare this to an OSHA 30-hour course, which is more comprehensive and appropriate for those with responsibilities as a manager or supervisor.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that having a job is not necessarily a requirement to take and complete OSHA 10-hour training. OSHA allows individuals to earn a course completion 10-hour card without the sponsorship of an employer.

Prevent injuries to avoid time-away, worker's compensation, missed deadlines, and slowed productivity. Find OSHA training options for any workplace at Lion.com/OSHA-Training. 

The OSHA 10-hour Card and 10-hour “Certification”

When you or your employee completes a 10-hour OSHA General Industry course, whether in a classroom or online, the training provider will issue what OSHA calls a “course completion card” and what industry professionals often refer to as a “10-hour Card.”

While OSHA 10-hour training is completely voluntary from a safety compliance standpoint, states, municipalities, or employers may require employees to complete this training. Unlike a driver’s license or a hunting license, a 10-hour card received from any training provider does not “certify” or “license” individuals as proficient in any or all of the topics covered in the 10-hour training. Ultimately, it is the employer’s responsibility to “certify” that employees are competent to work safely around the hazards present in the workplace.

10-hour cards do not expire, and a misplaced 10-hour card can typically be replaced by contacting the training provider. OSHA does not keep any type of records regarding training dates or attendees for the purposes of replacing 10-hour cards.

The Goal of OSHA 10-hour Training

The aim of 10-hour training in general industry workplaces is to educate employees about job-related hazards, including how to identify and avoid them. To this end, 10-hour training typically focuses on basic principles of hazard recognition, evaluation, and control. In addition, employees learn about their rights in the workplace, the responsibilities of employers, and the means by which an employee can file a complaint with OSHA.

GHS Hazard Communication (HazCom) Employee Training

One recent change to the typical 10-hour curriculum is the addition of new classification and labeling criteria adopted by the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) at 29 CFR 1910.1200. The HazCom Standard has been updated to incorporate requirements from the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), an international standard for identifying and communicating chemical hazards in the workplace.

See a full list of avaialble OSHA HazCom training courses here. 

Required OSHA 10-hour Training Topics

While there is some flexibility with respect to 10-hour training content, OSHA recognizes a need for content consistency across different instructors and training delivery methods. This led the Agency to create a basic 10-hour course outline. Essentially, trainers must cover three program areas: mandatory, elective, and optional topics.

For the General Industry 10-hour training, instructional time must be a minimum of 10 hours. Since 10-hour training generally does not go into a lot of technical detail, it is particularly well suited for employees starting out in workplaces regulated by OSHA.

The various 10-hour training topics and corresponding time requirements are as follows:

Mandatory topics – 7 hours

• Introduction to OSHA – 2 hours
  • Covers employee’s rights under OSHA, how to file a complaint, Safety Data Sheets, workplace Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, and employer’s responsibilities
• Walking and working surfaces (including fall protection) – 1 hour
• Exit routes, emergency action plans, fire prevention plans, and fire protection – 1 hour
• Electrical – 1 hour
• Personal protective equipment – 1 hour
• Hazard communication – 1 hour

Elective topics – 2 hours

• Minimum length of any topic is 30 minutes
• At least two of the following topics must be presented:
  • Hazardous materials
  • Materials handling
  • Machine guarding
  • Introduction to industrial hygiene
  • Bloodborne pathogens
  • Ergonomics
  • Safety and health program
  • Fall protection

Optional topics – 1 hour

• Instructor can select any topics related to general industry hazards or choose to expand upon one of the previously discussed topics
• Minimum length of any topic is 30 minutes

Convenient OSHA 10-hour Training

Be confident your personnel are prepared to protect themselves from the hazards in your workplace. The 10-Hour OSHA General Industry Online Course is a convenient, effective way to get your team the training they need. Topics covered include PPE use and maintenance, hazard communication, electrical safety, materials handling, hearing protection, and more.

Tags: GHS, HazCom, osha