OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 are parts of the OSHA Outreach Training Program. The OSHA Outreach Training Program is a voluntary program, meaning that both OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 are voluntary as well.
We'll tell you more about OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 in this next installment of our ongoing OSHA Basics series of articles in which our ultimate goal is to tell you everything you always wanted to know about OSHA (a bed-burner; a stay-up-all-night reading topic--we know).
As OSHA describes its Outreach Training Program (remember, we're explaining this because OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 are part of the Outreach Training Program):
The Outreach Training Program is a voluntary program. Its purpose is to promote workplace safety and health and to make workers more knowledgeable about workplace hazards and their rights. Outreach training does not fulfill the training requirements found in OSHA standards. Employers are responsible for providing additional training for their workers on specific hazards of their job as noted in many OSHA standards.
So, OSHA 10 and OSHA 30, like everything in the OSHA Outreach Training Program, are voluntary. And completing them has no effect on the safety and health training an employer has to provide to employees due to OSHA standards.
But that doesn't mean it's not a good idea to complete OSHA 10 and OSHA 30.
OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 are designed for workers, not necessarily for management, supervisors, and/or safety professionals (although of course all are welcome to complete OSHA 10 and 30).
As OSHA explains, the goals of the OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 safety and health training programs are to provide training to employees on workplace hazard recognition, avoidance, abatement, and prevention. Additionally, they also provide information about OSHA, including information about a worker's rights, an employer's responsibilities, and how a worker can file a complaint to OSHA.
OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 are, to a degree, intended for different training audiences (although of course it makes a lot of sense for someone to complete OSHA 10 and then later complete OSHA 30).
As you might have guessed, OSHA 10 is intended for entry-level workers.
If OSHA 10 is intended primarily for new employees, then as you probably guessed the expected audience for an OSHA 30 training session are a little higher in the safety pecking order.
As OSHA puts it:
The 30-hour training program is intended to provide workers with some safety responsibility a greater depth and variety of training.
So if you're in a position with some safety responsibility at work, OSHA 30 may be appropriate for you.
OSHA doesn't teach OSHA 10 and OSHA 30.
Instead, OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 are taught by people (or organizations) who have been approved by OSHA to teach OSHA 10 and 30. (Side note: Did you know I've been approved to teach OSHA 10 and 30? I don't, but I went through the courses to learn more about safety and health and about OSHA 10 & 30).
Yes, you can. OSHA's authorized a small number of online training providers for OSHA 10 and OSHA 30.
They do. Check here to learn more about RedVector's OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 offerings.
We hope this article helped you gain a better understanding of the OSHA 10 and 30 training programs and of the OSHA Outreaching Training Program in general.
To learn more about OSHA concepts, please do read some of our other OSHA Basics articles.
Jeff Dalto, Senior Learning & Performance Improvement Manager
Jeff is a learning designer and performance improvement specialist with more than 20 years in learning and development, 15+ of which have been spent working in manufacturing, industrial, and architecture, engineering & construction training. Jeff has worked side-by-side with more than 50 companies as they implemented online training. Jeff is an advocate for using evidence-based training practices and is currently completing a Masters degree in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning from Boise State University. He writes the Vector Solutions | Convergence Training blog and invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.
