When to Train: What OSHA Says

Safety training has to start from Day 1. Generally speaking, employees should be trained:

• When first hired and periodically thereafter to keep skills and knowledge up to date
  
• When job duties or assignments change, or when promoted or transferred to a new job
  
• When new equipment or materials introduce new hazards to the workplace
  
• When there are changes in safety policies and procedures
  
• When OSHA regulations change
  

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Special circumstances might also indicate the need for training. Employees should be retrained:

• Whenever there’s a workplace safety incident such as an accident or near miss
  
• When there’s a decline in safety performance on the part of individual employees or a group of workers

It’s important to take even minor mishaps seriously and view them as sufficient grounds for retraining. Immediately following a safety incident is a good time to train because the incident highlights hazards and the need for precautions. Employees are most likely to learn when what happened—or what could have happened—is still fresh in their minds.

More than 100 separate OSHA rules feature training requirements. Here’s a list of the general industry regulations, by subpart, that have specific employee training requirements:

• Subpart E: Exit Routes, Emergency Action Plans, and Fire Prevention Plans (Sections 1910.35–39)
  
• Subpart F: Powered Platforms, Manlifts, and Vehicle-Mounted Work Platforms (Sections 1910. 66–68)
  
• Subpart G: Occupational Health and Environmental Control (Sections 1910.94–98)
  
• Subpart H: Hazardous Materials (Sections 1910.101–120)
  
• Subpart I: Personal Protective Equipment (Sections 1910.132–138)
  
• Subpart J: General Environmental Controls (Sections 1910.141–147)
  
• Subpart K: Medical and First Aid (Sections 1910.151–152)
  
• Subpart L: Fire Protection (Sections 1910.155–165 and Appendices)
  
• Subpart N: Materials Handling and Storage (Sections 1910.176–184)
  
• Subpart O: Machinery and Machine Guarding (Sections 1910.211–219)
  
• Subpart Q: Welding, Cutting, and Brazing (Sections 1910.251–255)
  
• Subpart R: Special Industries (Sections 1910.261–272)
  
• Subpart S: Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices (Sections 1910.301–399 and Appendices)
  
• Subpart T: Commercial Diving Operations (Sections 1910.401–441 and Appendices)
  
• Subpart Z: Toxic and Hazardous Substances (Sections 1910.1000–1450)

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Some of these regulations require annual training—for example, Respiratory Protection (Section 1910.134) and Bloodborne Pathogens (Section 1910.1030). Others require less-frequent training, and a few require more-frequent training.

Some simply require retraining when the circumstances mentioned in the first two sections of this safety training tip occur, such as changes in job duties or hazards, or when safety performance declines. Be sure to check the regulations that affect your workplace and your employees for specific training requirements.

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Why It Matters…

• Effective safety training delivered at the right time in the right way to the right employees is your best defense against workplace accidents and injuries.
  
• Initial safety training when employees are hired ensures that new workers—even experienced ones—understand the specific safety hazards, rules, and practices of your workplace.
  
• Periodic refresher training keeps employees’ skills sharp and their safety knowledge current.
  
• Compliance with OSHA training rules might require certification of required training, something an OSHA inspector is likely to check during an inspection.
  

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