1. What are the differences between mandated and implicit training requirements? Provide an example of each from the OSHA standards (other than the ones discussed in the course textbook).

Questions:

1. What are the differences between mandated and implicit training requirements? Provide an example of each from the OSHA standards (other than the ones discussed in the course textbook).

2. Discuss why and how workers should be involved in determining the training needs of an organization. Provide at least one example in your response.
3. Identify and compare two methods that can be used to prioritize training needs. Which method do you feel is more reliable? Why?
4. In OSHA’s training guidelines, several steps are listed as ways to identify training needs. The last step listed is to review the federal or state safety, health, and environmental standards applicable to the business. Why is this step listed last? What can the other steps provide that the standards cannot provide? Provide some examples that illustrate your point.

Overview

Training Requirements for Workplace Safety Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace. No person should ever have to be injured, become ill, or die for a paycheck. OSHA’s mission is to ensure the protection of workers and prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths by setting and enforcing standards, and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.

Many OSHA standards, which have prevented countless workplace tragedies, include explicit safety and health training requirements to ensure that workers have the required skills and knowledge to safely do their work. These requirements reflect OSHA’s belief that training is an essential part of every employer’s safety and health program for protecting workers from injuries and illnesses. Researchers conclude that those who are new on the job have a higher rate of injuries and illnesses than more experienced workers.

To assist employers, safety and health professionals, training directors and others with a need to know, OSHA’s training-related requirements have been excerpted and collected in this updated booklet. Requirements for posting information, warning signs, labels, and the like are excluded, as are most references to the qualifications of people assigned to test workplace conditions or equipment.

Training in the safe way for workers to do their jobs well is an investment that will pay back over and over again in fewer injuries and illnesses, better morale, lower insurance premiums and more. It is a good idea to keep a record of all safety and health training. Documentation can also supply an answer to one of the first questions an incident investigator will ask: “Did the employee receive adequate training to do the job?”