What you need to know about the OSHA Outreach Training Program

Regardless of the size or industry of your company, proper training is imperative for everyone. When it comes to training, this includes the CEO who can learn how to increase profit, the CFO who can decrease overhead, the HR Director for reducing employee turnover, the Compliance Manager to ensure the company follows all current laws and regulations, and the L&D Manager responsible for in-house training. However, training also applies to teams within each department.

Your leadership team should brainstorm to identify the training needs on a department-by-department basis, as well as the company as a whole. Once you approve the training objectives, your L&D Manager should create a program that ensures every person within the organization receives the training needed. By developing and honing knowledge and skills, your employees can perform at peak levels.

Along with the ongoing training offered by your company, it is essential to consider outside resources as well. Especially for a warehousing, manufacturing, processing, or distributing business, or one similar that exposes workers to a high level of risk for injury and even death, training is vital. OSHA offers an incredible outreach training program your L&D and Compliance Manager should understand and utilize.

What is OSHA?

OSHA, the acronym for Occupational Safety and Health Administration is a government entity that establishes and enforces protective standards for workplace safety and health. This organization also created the OSH Act of 1970. Through that, OSHA has the authorization to enforce the standards developed under the Act, which “assure safe and healthful working conditions for both men and women” on the job.

However, OSHA offers even more in the form of employee and worker assistance and training. Rather than just set and enforce strict regulations that help prevent injuries, illness, and death, this organization serves all types of industries through an incredible training program. OSHA wants workers to succeed, which entails having a safe and healthy place to work.

What Does the OSHA Outreach Training Program Consist Of?

OSHA, which falls under the guise of the United States Department of Labor, voluntarily developed an outreach program that promotes both safety and health within the workplace. The primary goal of this is to increase the knowledge of workers specific to hazards, as well as their legal rights.

Something important to note is this Outreach Training Program does not include the training requirements found in the OSHA standards. That means your Compliance and L&D Managers would need to provide employees with additional training for hazards, and the specific jobs they perform. The topics covered in the Outreach Training Program are also different from those your leadership team would choose from a learning platform to develop worker knowledge and skill further.

Started in 1971, this program has now served almost 4 million workers. Just as those individuals, future participants of the OSHA Outreach Training Program will learn how to identify hazards at work and the appropriate way to avoid them. The program also covers abatement and prevention, along with employees’ rights, employer responsibilities, and even the correct way to file a complaint with OSHA.

Although the OSHA Outreach Training Program targets entry-level workers, it can benefit anyone. Employees can complete either a 10 or 30-hour program depending on the level of training required. Regardless, both options offer incredible benefits that include:

• Hands-on participation
• Safety culture promotion via peer training
• Emphasis on the value of workplace safety and health through hazard recognition and avoidance
• Customizable topics based on each employee’s needs
• Multi-language availability

As with ongoing training your leadership team can offer to employees online, individuals can complete the OSHA Outreach Training Program through the internet. That prevents any disruption in production yet provides workers with what they need to stay safe and healthy on the job.

When opting for this program, it is essential your L&D Manager select the right trainer. Not only is it vital to choose someone qualified on a specific topic, but because trainers work as independent service providers, the associated cost for training varies. According to OSHA, any company interested in its Outreach Training Program should talk to several trainers, finding the one that matches the company’s criteria.

Keep in mind that every trainer is OSHA-authorized. That means you can select a trainer regardless of your industry, whether industrial, construction, automotive, maritime, and so on. For the trainers to offer their services, they must complete an updated course every four years and have met several prerequisites of OSHA standards.

What to Expect from the Training

Once your employees complete the OSHA Outreach Program, they will have new knowledge and skills in dealing with hazards at work. Your workers will be more in tune with their surroundings, making it easier for them to identify a possible threat. They will also know who to turn to if they spot something suspicious, as well as the steps to take to ensure their safety and health, along with other workers nearby.

There is no question this OSHA training is an excellent opportunity. Combining it with what we offer at Go1 and you will feel more confident in your leaders and their teams’ abilities to spot and report hazardous situations. From that, you will see fewer accidents, avoid costly fines for being non-compliant with current laws and regulations, have less employee turnover, and possibly reduce your liability insurance premium.

The courses we offer online at Go1 also meet high standards. All of our training is the result of hard work by an industry leader. We have an abundance of beneficial topics, all competitively priced and a short duration. Give your entire staff what they need to perform but also stay safe and healthy in their respective roles.