RMCOEH’s Mountain West OSHA Education Center prepares trainers for OSHA’s rapidly growing Outreach Training Program, which promotes workplace safety and health and increases workers' knowledge about their rights and workplace hazards.
What is the Outreach Training Program?
The voluntary program includes 10- or 30-hour courses, taught by authorized trainers, focused on the following areas: construction, general industry, maritime, and disaster site work.
The 10-hour courses are intended to make workers aware of common job-related safety and health hazards, while the 30-hour courses are geared toward supervisors or workers with some responsibility for overseeing safety. The content of the courses includes hazard recognition and avoidance, workers' rights, employer responsibilities, and how workers can file a complaint.
These courses:
- Promote safety culture and emphasize the value of safety and health through peer training
- Include participatory training with hands-on activities
- Are able to be tailored based on specific needs of course attendees
- Are available in languages other than English (Spanish, Polish, etc.)
Upon finishing a course, students can obtain a card from their trainer signifying that they have completed the training.
Note that this program 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. A list of standards requiring training may be found in OSHA Publication 2254, Training Requirements in OSHA Standards and Training Guidelines.
Those interested in taking a course should contact trainers directly and can do so through OSHA’s trainer database.
Become a Trainer
The Mountain West OSHA Education Center provides training for professionals interested in teaching construction and general industry courses, and we make the authorization process easy.
Trainers who meet the prerequisites must simply complete one Outreach Trainer Course through our center, and we offer both in-person and online sessions throughout the year. Trainers are required to renew their authorization every four years by completing an Outreach Trainer Update Course.
The details are as follows:
Construction Industry
Prerequisites:
- Form documenting five years of construction-safety experience
- OSHA #510 Standards for Construction
Outreach Trainer Course:
Update Course to Renew Authorization after Four Years:
Please note that trainers must successfully complete the update class before their four-year authorization expires. Failure to do so will force the trainer to re-complete the initial trainer course (including meeting all prerequisite requirements) to regain their authorization.
General Industry
Prerequisites:
- Form documenting five years of general industry safety experience
- OSHA #511 Standards for General Industry
Outreach Trainer Course:
Update Course to Renew Authorization:
Please note that trainers must successfully complete the update class before their four-year authorization expires. Failure to do so will force the trainer to re-complete the initial trainer course (including meeting all prerequisite requirements) to regain their authorization.
More Information
Those interested in taking a course or becoming a trainer can learn more through OSHA, including detailed information about getting a replacement completion card, FAQs, and program requirements.
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