Employment Law

OSHA Required Training for Workplace Safety

Key Takeaways

  • Safety training programs are an essential part of reducing the risk of occupational injuries.
  • Training is required for workers exposed to harmful agents, toxic substances, or high levels of radiation.
  • Improperly trained workers can refuse to do dangerous work until their employer provides the proper training.

When something goes wrong in your work environment, you need to have the tools and training to protect yourself and your co-workers. Safety training programs are an essential part of reducing the risk of occupational injuries. Your employers have a duty to provide safety training for OSHA compliance.

You should not have to do dangerous work if you don’t have the proper tools and training. To find out more about your job safety rights, talk to an experienced employment law attorney about workplace training requirements.

What Does OSHA Do?

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) within the Department of Labor to regulate workplace safety. OSHA regulations apply to most private sector employers across the country. OSHA standards or state-plan equivalents cover most employees.

Under OSHA regulations, employers are responsible for providing a safe workplace. This includes:

  • Complying with OSHA rules, health standards, and regulations
  • Providing workers with safe tools, safety equipment, and personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Warning employees of potential hazards with proper color codes, posters, labels, and signs
  • Providing safety training programs workers can understand
  • Implementing a written hazard communication program
  • Reporting work-related injuries, fatalities, and hospitalizations
  • Following recordkeeping requirements and providing access to safety standard records

What Safety Training Does OSHA Require?

Safety training is an essential part of an employer’s safety and health programs. Under OSHA, employers are responsible for providing workers with a safe and healthy workplace. This includes explicit safety and health training to make sure workers don’t have to suffer serious injuries to do their jobs.

Federal law requires employers to provide training to employees who face workplace hazards. Employers have to provide workers with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals. Employers may have to give further training whenever new chemical hazards are introduced. Other safety requirements can depend on the type of industry.

What Are the Different Types of Safety Training?

There are different types of required training. This can include safety manuals, posters, and training programs. Training is required for workers exposed to harmful agents, toxic substances, or high levels of radiation. OSHA training may cover:

  • The use of safety equipment
  • Understanding hazardous chemical handling
  • The use of preventative measures and emergency treatment
  • The proper labeling of hazardous substances
  • Injury and illness prevention health programs
  • Emergency action programs
  • Fire prevention

Employers should keep a record of safety and health training for OSHA inspector visits. Inspectors can make random visits, or they will come on-site if there has been an accident.

How Can You Find Safety Records From Your Employer?

OSHA recordkeeping requires employers to keep track of workplace injuries and illnesses. This includes:

  • OSHA 300 Log summary records for work-related injuries and illnesses
  • OSHA 300A summaries at the end of every year
  • OSHA 301 incident report forms for each injury recorded in the incident log

Employers have to make safety records available to workers and employee representatives. This includes the right to review records related to accidents, exposure information, and medical records. You can also request copies of OSHA documents.

Do You Have To Do Dangerous Work If You Aren’t Trained?

If you do not feel prepared to take on hazardous work, talk to your employer. Employers are generally required to correct dangerous working conditions. This includes dangers caused by a lack of training. If your job is dangerous and you don’t have the right training, your employer should train you to handle work tasks safely.

In some cases, you may be able to refuse to do work that puts you in imminent danger of harm. If there is a real danger of serious injury or death and there isn’t enough time to get it corrected with training or an OSHA inspection, you can refuse to do it.

How Can an Attorney Help if Your Employer Doesn’t Comply With Training?

Not all employers offer the right training courses. They may think training takes too much time or is unnecessary. However, when workers don’t have sufficient training, the risk of serious injury increases.

If your employer does not provide proper training for your workplace safety hazards, you can report it to OSHA. Employment law rights protect you if you get fired for reporting safety hazards. An experienced employment lawyer can also tell you about your legal rights if your employer leaves you unprepared for workday dangers.

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