In industry, there are many hazards associated with daily tasks. One of the key components of a safe workplace is having effective and accurate safety training.
I remember in the early days of my work experience outside the sewer and water industry having to sign a document that went over the basic safety requirements. And that was it. The document was filed away, and that was the last I heard of safety. Many of us may have had a similar experience, but hopefully not recently.
I can remember doing things in the name of getting the job done that make me cringe today. I don’t know how I survived without suffering a major injury. Safety training and enforcement of the safety regulations would have gone a long way in keeping me out of those risky situations.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has established regulations for employers to enforce that would make their workplaces safe for their employees. These regulations include specific standards on safety training, how often training is required and the specific topics that must be covered in training. Certain training like confined space, lockout/tagout and forklift training includes getting certification. Training like bloodborne pathogens and hazard communications are required annually for employees who work in areas that could involve these elements.
These may all be things you already know, but do you know the specifics of what is required in safety training for your employees? If you are an employee exposed to these industry hazards, are you aware of what OSHA requires you to be trained on?
The good news is that OSHA does have programs designed to help with safety training, and with a little research on their regulations, you can find the information you need to conduct safety training.
The following are some key OSHA requirements that need to be included in your safety training.
Confined space requires training be conducted prior to any employee being assigned to duties in a confined space operation, the training should provide the understanding, knowledge and skills necessary to work safely in a confined space operation, the training shall establish employee proficiency in the duties required by the confined space standards and shall provide procedures for compliance with the OSHA standard on confined space entry. OSHA requires that employers certify that training has been accomplished. These standards can be found in 29 CFR 1910.146.
Lockout/tagout requires that employees provide training to ensure, first, that employees understand the purpose and function of the energy control program; and second, that employees acquire the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage and removal of energy controls. There is specific training for authorized and affected employees on the proper use of lockout devices and tags. Employers also must have certification that the training has been accomplished and is up to date. These standards can be found in 29 CFR 1910.147.
Personal protective equipment requires training for all employees who will use PPE. This includes when PPE is necessary, what PPE is necessary, how to appropriately put it on, take it off, adjust and how to wear PPE appropriately. Also, training must include the limitations of PPE as well as the proper care, maintenance and storage of PPE. These standards can be found in 29 CFR 1910.132.
The numbers behind the standards have a specific meaning as well. The number 29 stands for Labor and the CFR stands for Code of Federal Regulations. This means that OSHA’s regulations are considered enforceable by law. Employers are required to comply with these standards. Failing to comply with these standards is risky business practices as if there is a fatality involving failing to comply with these standards. OSHA will cite the employer, and the penalty will be expensive. It will also open the employer to civil lawsuits by family members of the deceased.
For our industry, safety training is a must to keep our employees working safely and going home each day in good health. Making sure the safety training is accurate and appropriate is also crucial so that employees know how to safely handle the hazards of our industry.
