OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 are safety certification programs offered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). They provide workers in the construction, maritime, and general industry sectors with the training to understand their rights under the OSHA act and identify and mitigate workplace hazards.
While OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 remain voluntary in most states, including Wisconsin, many employers require employees to complete OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 to avoid workplace injuries and citations..
This blog discusses what's included in the OSHA 10 training and the OSHA 30 training, who should complete each training, and why Lemberg considers OSHA 30 vital to its construction safety program and the company's overall success.
What is OSHA 10?
Designed for entry-level employees, OSHA 10 is a 10-hour course that covers the basics of occupational safety and health. Trainees have ten days to complete the training once started, although it must be completed over a minimum of two days. Once completed, trainees receive an OSHA 10-Hour Construction Outreach course completion card.
What is included in OSHA 10 training?
OSHA 10 training, which must be administered by an OSHA-authorized trainer, includes an introduction to OSHA, including workers’ rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint. The course also provides an overview of common workplace hazards and how to prevent workplace injuries. Each industry (construction, maritime, and general industry) requires its own set of mandatory topics. Once these mandatory topics are covered, the course designer can choose from a list of elective topics and procedures most beneficial for participants and their occupations.
Who should take OSHA 10 training?
The OSHA 10 training is an excellent way to communicate the importance of safety to employees and turn them into safety experts and advocates. Requiring all entry-level employees to complete OSHA 10 is a wise investment to help improve a company’s safety culture by streamlining best safety practices on the job site.
Education and knowledge are key when it comes to construction safety. Click here to learn about the six safety facts you may not know about working near electricity.
What is OSHA 30?
The OSHA 30-Hour course is intended to provide supervisors and safety managers with a broader and deeper understanding of job-related health and safety topics, allowing them to effectively manage the safety of an entire team.
Training is limited to 7.5 student contact hours a day (not including breaks or testing), with at least 8 hours between each session. This means the 30-hour course should be completed over a minimum of four days. Like the OSHA 10 course, participants will receive an OSHA 30-Hour Construction Outreach course completion card.
While OSHA 30 is required for all onsite supervisors and safety managers, all employees could benefit from completing this comprehensive safety course.
What is included in OSHA 30 training?
OSHA 30 is "Awareness Training" that digs deep into all topics related to construction job sites. The extra 20 hours provided in the OSHA 30-Hour training course allows instructors to increase the number of safety topics discussed and the amount of time spent on each topic. This extra emphasis on job site risk and hazard prevention further instills customer trust in a company's safety processes and ability to complete an injury-free project.
In addition to the requirements listed for OSHA 10, OSHA 30 covers advanced topics that vary based on industry type. For example, an OSHA 30 certification may include the following topics for the construction industry:
- Cranes and rigging
- Fall protection
- Electrical safety
- Hazard communications
- Struck-by
- Caught in/between
- Power tools
- Personal protective equipment
It’s important to know that if you have already completed an OSHA 10 course, you must complete the OSHA 30 course separately. The training completed in your OSHA 10 course can not be added to your OSHA 30 training.
Who should take OSHA 30 training?
The OSHA 30 certification is suitable for supervisors, site leads, engineers, project managers, and safety specialists. Although, any employee present on a job site could benefit from completing this course.
The OSHA 30-Hour course teaches workers how to work more efficiently and effectively and be better prepared to jump into projects rather than learning entirely on the job. Having all your employees complete OSHA 30 also gives you a competitive advantage no matter what industry.
At Lemberg, safety is not a job, it’s a way of life. Learn more about our safety culture here.
The Lemberg Safety Difference
At Lemberg, we are proud to be safety leaders in the construction industry. Our safety culture begins with our CEO and is interwoven throughout the entire company. We use a TEAM approach and emphasize human performance where no safety detail is unnoticed. Every worker on our construction site is given the expert knowledge they need to prevent any potential accidents.
Lemberg is proud to be an OSHA 30 company, requiring most employees, from office to field technicians, to complete the OSHA training. Our bi-annual, company-wide safety training brings in experts for trade and risk management to meet the ever-changing environment of our industry.
We are proud to have Gwenn Soldner on staff as our project safety director and lead OSHA-authorized trainer. With over 45 years of experience in the electrical industry and over ten years of experience in safety and code enforcement, Soldner knows getting OSHA certified goes far beyond simply following regulations and obtaining an accredited certification — it requires an ongoing, interactive approach.
Contact Lemberg Today!
Lemberg is your reliable, full-service electrical partner specializing in data communications, custom signage, electrical construction, energy technologies, and electrical services, including emergency services around the clock. We are dedicated to keeping your business efficient, safe, and prepared for the future.
Contact us today to learn more about our construction safety practices or request a free project quote.