What You Need to Know about OSHA Certification

How Do I Become OSHA Certified?

Contrary to popular belief, OSHA does not actually certify workers and you cannot get "OSHA certified." Courses and trainers can be OSHA authorized, and students receive course completion cards, but anyone claiming to be OSHA certified would be mistaken.

The closest thing to OSHA certification is OSHA Outreach training, which is provided by OSHA authorized trainers and results in the issuance of an official Department of Labor OSHA 10-Hour or 30-Hour card. That said, many workers do not need an official DOL card to remain OSHA compliant — they just need proper training that will teach them how to stay safe on their worksite!

What Certification Does OSHA Require?

While OSHA does not specifically address training requirements for workers or provide certifications, many OSHA standards require that the employer train employees in specific safety and health aspects of their jobs. OSHA has released guidelines for training, but these are not themselves a standard. For specific information about OSHA standards and requirements, visit OSHA's Laws and Regulations page. The rule of thumb: Train your employees on what they need to know to keep themselves and others safe on the worksite.

While your employer may require you to have an OSHA card, OSHA itself considers 10- and 30-Hour training to be voluntary. OSHA doesn't necessarily know what standards are applicable to each worksite, so determining proper training is the job of employers. Additional support is available through OSHA-authorized training programs.

OSHA Outreach Training is OSHA-authorized to provide a Department of Labor OSHA card, which can be a great baseline of training for most workers. Depending on your industry, standardized 10- and 30-Hour courses can help give all employees consistent training on the most important OSHA topics, including construction's "Focus Four" hazards and other required topics, which can then be augmented with site-specific on-the-job training.

Do I Need a Department of Labor OSHA Card?

While OSHA does not directly certify workers, official Department of Labor Cards are required in many states and on certain types of job sites, such as any governmental work site, oil rigs, or certain states. Only authorized OSHA Outreach courses can provide these cards, and there are a limited number of approved providers, so make sure you are registering for a course that issues an official Department of Labor card such as that offered by USFOSHA.com.

If you are not sure whether or not you need a Department of Labor card, you should check directly with your employer or research any state or local laws regarding OSHA training and Department of Labor cards. Visit OSHA's website to find contact information for your state or regional OSHA office.

OSHA Outreach Training is only available to U.S. workers; Department of Labor cards cannot be shipped outside of the United States. International workers, while not specifically covered under the protections of OSHA, may still want to take OSHA-related training to understand how best to minimize risk. International workers interested in safety training can contact us at 1-866-575-4310 for more information.