What is OSHA Training?
OSHA training is the training on safety and health that employers are required to provide for members of their workforces. Training requirements vary according to the nature of each business’s activities and the OSHA standards that apply. For example, in the healthcare industry, an OSHA required training checklist could include many of the following subjects:
OSHA Required Training Checklist
- General safety and health guidelines (i.e., preventing slips, trips, and falls)
- Emergency action plans (see note below on CMS Emergency Preparedness)
- Fire prevention, response, and evacuation training (inc. CMS training)
- Fire extinguisher use (when fire extinguishers are provided for employee use)
- Safe patient handling (for staff with direct patient handling duties)
- PPE training (essential before working in an environment in which PPE is required)
- Occupational noise safety (typically in laundry, engineering, and heliport environments)
- Workplace violence prevention (tailored to each healthcare environment)
- Respiratory protection training (in both routine and emergency scenarios)
- Bloodborne pathogen safety (including how to clean up spills of potential pathogens)
- Ethylene oxide training (for workforce members using ETO gas sterilizers)
- Formaldehyde training (when exposure to formaldehyde at or above 0.01ppm)
- Ionizing radiation safety (when working with x-rays, nuclear medicine, and radiotherapy)
- Hazardous materials communication (for other toxic and hazardous substances)
Similar to the HIPAA training requirements, the content of OSHA training will consist of some subjects every member of the workforce needs to be aware of (i.e., how to report safety and health issues) and some subjects that will only apply to members of the workforce in specific roles (i.e., exposure to ethylene oxide). Therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all OSHA required training checklist.
Additionally, all Medicare and Medicaid providers are required to comply with CMS’ Emergency Preparedness Requirement. To comply with the OSHA training requirements for emergency action plans, qualifying providers should train employees on:
(1) The procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency.
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(2) The procedures for emergency evacuation.
(3) The procedures to be followed by employees who remain to maintain critical activities.
(4) Procedures to account for all employees after evacuation.
(5) Procedures to be followed by employees performing rescue or medical duties.
(6) The name or job title of every employee who may be contacted by employees who need more information about the plan or an explanation of their duties under the plan.
OSHA and HIPAA Training for Medical Offices
Conducting separate training sessions for every regulatory training requirement can be impractical for smaller healthcare organizations and result in training fatigue for new members of the workforce. For this reason, it can be worthwhile combing OSHA and HIPAA training for medical offices and other healthcare organizations with limited resources.
Combining OSHA and HIPAA training for medical offices is not necessarily complicated. Privacy Officers simply need to work out which HIPAA policies and procedures apply to new members of the workforce (i.e., permissible uses and disclosures, patients’ rights, etc.) and which OSHA standards also apply (i.e., fire extinguisher use, hazard communication, etc.).
Where an OSHA standard requires annual refresher training (i.e., bloodborne pathogens), it can be a good idea to integrate refresher HIPAA training into the training session to ensure members of the workforce do not allow HIPAA policies to slip from their minds. It may also be possible to integrate CMS training into OSHA and HIPAA training for medical offices in certain circumstances.
What is the Required Frequency of OSHA Training?
When training is required by an OSHA standard, it is most often the case that training is required prior to a member of the workforce performing a role in which they are exposed to a hazard, with refresher training provided at the employer’s discretion or when a material change occurs to (for example) hazardous materials communications.
However, some standards require more frequent training. For example, the bloodborne pathogens standard requires employees to receive training “At the time of initial assignment to tasks where occupational exposure may take place and at least annually thereafter.” Additionally, state OSHA plans may require more frequent training.
What is OSHA 10 and 30-Hour Training?
OSHA 10 and 30-hour training – also known as Outreach Training – are two types of training programs offered by OSHA-authorized training organizations. The 10-hour training program is intended for “entry level workers” and includes the basics of hazard recognition and avoidance, workers’ rights, employers’ responsibilities, and how to file a complaint.
The 30-hour training program is more advanced and intended for workers with responsibility for safety and health in the workplace. The program has more depth and variety than the 10-hour program; and, although not standard-specific, is recommended for anybody that will ultimately be responsible for providing OSHA training to colleagues.
Although participation in either Outreach Training Program is voluntary, some states have passed legislation requiring workers in the construction industry to have a 10-hour or 30-hour construction “card” (certificate of completion) before being employed by a construction project. In several cases, the card has to be renewed by retaking training every five years.
Conclusion: Make Sure You Know the OSHA Training Requirements
If a safety or health hazard exists in your workplace, it is likely there is an OSHA standard on how to mitigate the risk of an injury or illness from the hazard. There is also likely to be an OSHA training requirement in the standard. Therefore, it is important that employers are not only aware of the standard but also of the training requirement.
If you are unsure about which standards applicable to your business have an OSHA training requirement, or you need help with the provision of training, OSHA provides multiple sources of information on its website and also offers a free and confidential on-site consultation program for small and medium-sized businesses.
Alternatively, you can find out more about OSHA compliance for the healthcare industry in our OSHA compliance checklist or seek independent advice from a compliance expert. Businesses can be issued with citations and fines for failing to provide safety and health training to employees when required, so it is important you know the OSHA training requirements – and comply with them.
