Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - Outreach Trainer

The Outreach Training Program is a voluntary program. Its purpose is to promote workplace safety and health and to make workers more knowledgeable about workplace hazards and their rights.

Outreach training 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.

Program overview

  • Promotes safety culture through peer training
  • Training is intended to be participatory, using hands-on activities
  • Trainers are able to tailor the training topics based on specific needs of their audience
  • Outreach training content includes hazard recognition and avoidance, workers' rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint; it emphasizes the value of safety and health to workers, including young workers
  • Outreach training is available in languages other than English (Spanish, Polish, etc.)

10-hour and 30-hour programs

The 10-hour training program is primarily intended for entry level workers. The 30-hour training program is intended to provide workers with some safety responsibility a greater depth and variety of training.

All outreach training is intended to cover an overview of the hazards a worker may encounter on a job site. Training emphasizes hazard identification, avoidance, control and prevention, not OSHA standards.

Becoming an authorized trainer

Becoming an Authorized Outreach Trainer will allow you to conduct 10-Hour and 30-Hour Hazard Awareness classes.

Authorization requires 5 years of verifiable Occupational Safety and Health Oversite experience, attending a pre-requisite class, competing the Pre-Requisite Verification Form (PVF) and being approved to attend the trainer the trainer class.

Training by industry

Note: Trainers are required to update every 4 years by completion OSHA 502 for Construction and OSHA 503 for General Industry. OSHA does not allow for an extension to update your training.

If your authorization expires, you will be required to start over. This means completing the PVF, attend 510/511 with last 7 years, and being approved to attend/complete 500/501class. Contact safety.first@mcckc.edu to obtain the paperwork to complete.