OSHA 30-hour Construction Course Description
I often get asked what the outline or course description is for the OSHA 30-hr Construction Industry Outreach Training Program. Below is a course description and outline:
The OSHA “Construction Industry” standards apply to new construction, installation, repair, renovation, painting, demolition and decorating. The construction standards do not apply to manufacturing, agriculture or maritime (ship building); these industries have their own OSHA standards.
The 30-hour Construction Industry Outreach Training Program is intended to provide a variety of training to workers with some safety responsibility. Per OSHA’s instruction, the training should emphasize hazard identification, avoidance, control and prevention, not OSHA standards. Instructional time must be a minimum of 30 hours. The topic requirements are outlined below.
This training is intended to be customized. There is no prerequisite and anyone can certainly attend this training, but it is geared towards a supervisor, lead-man, upper manager or anyone who has some responsibility for safety and health.
Per OSHA there are 14 hours of Mandatory topics with time allotments for each topic, 12 hours of Elective topics, and 4 hours of Optional topics. The minimum topic requirements are as follows:
MANDATORY – 14 hours
a) Introduction to OSHA – 1 hour. For more detail on this, please see the OSHA 10-hr course description as this topic is identical.
b) Managing Safety and Health – 2 hours. May include Injury and Illness Prevention Programs, job site inspections, accident prevention programs, management commitment and employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, accident investigations, how to conduct safety meetings, and supervisory communication.
c) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – 2 hours.
d) Health Hazards in Construction – 2 hours. May teach noise, hazard communication, crystalline silica, lead or any other construction health hazard.
e) Stairways and Ladders – 1 hour.
f) OSHA Focus Four Hazards – 6 hours. Because most construction fatalities are caused by fall hazards, falls must be covered for a minimum of one hour and 15 minutes. The other Focus Four Hazards must be covered for a minimum of one-half hour each. The trainer may spend up to 10 hours on this topic.
- Falls (minimum 1 hour and 15 minutes)
- Electrocution
- Struck-By (i.e. falling objects, trucks, cranes, …)
- Caught-In or Between (i.e. trench hazards, equipment, …)
Focus Four Hazards Training Requirements
All lessons for the Focus Four Hazards are required to train using the following objectives. Given current OSHA and industry information regarding construction worksite illnesses, injuries, and/or fatalities, the student will be able to recognize [fall, caught-in or between, struck-by, electrocution] hazards in construction.
Specifically for each of the focus four, the student will be able to:
- Identify major hazards
- Describe types of hazards
- Protect him/herself from these hazards
- Recognize employer requirements to protect workers from these hazards
Because these objectives are the expected student outcomes, trainers:
- May not vary from these objectives when planning the training session; and
- Must follow the participatory training model by applying effective training techniques;
- Must make sure the objectives are measured by testing the student’s achievement.
ELECTIVE – 12 hours
Must present at least 12 hours of training on the following topics. At least 6 topics must be presented. The minimum length of any topic is one-half hour.
a) Concrete and Masonry Construction
b) Confined Space Entry
c) Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, Elevators, & Conveyors
d) Ergonomics
e) Excavations
f) Fire Protection and Prevention
g) Materials Handling, Storage, Use and Disposal
h) Welding and Cutting
i) Powered Industrial Vehicles
j) Safety and Health Programs
k) Scaffolds
l) Steel Erection
m) Tools – Hand and Power
n) Motor Vehicles, Mechanized Equipment and Marine Operations; Rollover Protective Structures and Overhead Protection; and Signs, Signals and Barricades
o) Foundations for Safety Leadership (minimum 2.5 hours)
OPTIONAL – 4 hours
Teach other construction industry hazards or policies and/or expand on the mandatory or elective topics. The minimum length of any topic is one-half hour.
The Outreach Training Program is voluntary. However, some states and local jurisdictions have enacted laws mandating Outreach training. Some employers, unions, and various other jurisdictions also require workers to have this training to work on job sites and to fulfill their own safety training goals.
If you have any questions or would like more detail, please contact me, the Spanish OSHA Guy! (Or… you could just ask for Steve.) Thanks for taking the time to read this far down. I look forward to the opportunity and privilege of training you and your employees.