The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a list of authorized online Outreach Training Program providers, each of which can cater to a variety of needs and considerations. Because OSHA Outreach Training Program online courses are available, more workers have access to training provided by vetted safety professionals.
While classroom training courses are also available, online courses provide learning opportunities to those who do not have easy access to physical in-person classes.
These courses are not specifically required by OSHA and are also not designed to provide the type of training required by OSHA standards. However, it’s still important to reduce workplace accidents and injuries by providing workers with training on how to properly deal with workplace hazards.
What is the OSHA Outreach Training Program?
OSHA-Authorized Online Outreach Training Program courses offer basic and advanced training about occupational safety and health hazards in the workplace. Students who finish their training will receive the OSHA 10 Hour or 30 Hour completion cards.
Participation in the program is entirely voluntary and not required by OSHA. However, because the training provided in the program does not fulfill all of OSHA safety and health training standards, employers have the responsibility to provide additional training to ensure OSHA compliance.
OSHA 10 Hour and 30 Hour Courses: What’s the Difference?
Training providers offer 10 Hour and 30 Hour OSHA training programs. These two programs have different aims and cater to different types of employees.
The OSHA 10 Hour training program, known as the OSHA 10 training, offers basic, entry-level courses. It aims to help workers develop a basic awareness of the common safety hazards in the workplace. Workers will learn more about how to recognize, avoid, and prevent hazards in the workplace. Additionally, they will also learn about their rights, their employers’ responsibilities, and the process of filing complaints.
OSHA 10 Hour Construction training courses cover OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 - Occupational Safety and Health Regulations for Construction and are best for entry-level construction workers. OSHA 10 Hour General Industry training courses cover OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910 - Occupational Safety and Health Standards and are best for entry-level general industry workers.
The 30 Hour OSHA training program, known as the OSHA 30 training, offers a more in-depth look into workplace safety and health hazards in different industries. This program also covers a wider variety of topics. While the OSHA 10 hour training program offers basic entry-level training, the 30-hour program is better suited to supervisors and workers with some level of safety responsibility.
OSHA 30 Hour Construction training courses cover OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 - Occupational Safety and Health Regulations for Construction and are best for construction supervisors. OSHA 30 Hour General Industry training courses cover OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910 - Occupational Safety and Health Standards and are best for general industry supervisors.
OSHA Authorization
If you search for Outreach Training Program course providers, the search results will likely give you a long list of vendors. However, it’s important to remember that the vendors on this list are the only ones that have met OSHA Outreach Training Program requirements and have the authorization to teach Outreach Training courses.
Other vendors not on this list may offer the same courses — or, at least, courses with the same titles — but they do not have OSHA training authorization. This means that if you train with these vendors, you will not receive a course completion card, also known as a Department of Labor (DOL) card.
DOL cards are important in many industries, and many employers and certain states require employees to undergo OSHA 10 or 30 Hour Outreach training. These cards are proof that you have accomplished your training. Because only OSHA-authorized vendors issue DOL cards, it’s best to take training courses with an authorized vendor.
DOL Cards
Once students complete an OSHA Online Outreach Training Program course, they should receive their DOL cards from their OSHA-authorized trainers within 90 days. These cards are basically proof that a worker has completed an OSHA Outreach Training Program course.
While obtaining a DOL card does not guarantee employment, it is something that employers may ask or require their employees to obtain.
Paper or Plastic?
DOL cards can either be paper or plastic, though the newer ones are made of plastic. For a fee, it’s possible to have a paper card replaced with a plastic one. However, replacement cards cannot be issued for training that was completed more than five years prior.
Verifying Course Completion Cards
Plastic DOL cards have a QR code. Cardholders can scan this code to verify the authenticity of their cards. They can also provide the name of the authorized trainer who issued the card.
Online Training Providers
These services are at present the only ones that are recognized and authorized as Outreach Training Program providers by OSHA. Each provider offers a variety of courses, only a few offer the OSHA 10 Hour courses and 30 Hour courses for Construction and General Industry. See what each provider has to offer below.
360training
360training provides online training courses for different industries, including real estate, food and beverage, and environmental safety and health.
Founded in 1997, it is now one of the leading providers of training and certification in the United States and currently has 4 million users across the globe.
It is also one of the four OSHA-authorized providers to have 10-hour and 30-hour OSHA Construction and General Industry training courses. Additionally, it also offers Spanish-language 10-hour and 30-hour Construction courses.
All 360 training OSHA Construction and General Industry courses are 100% online and self-paced. Once students complete their courses, they will receive valid plastic DOL cards.
OSHA Course Offerings:
- OSHA 10 Hour Construction (also available in Spanish)
- OSHA 30 Hour Construction (also available in Spanish)
- OSHA 10 Hour General Industry
- OSHA 30 Hour General Industry
See 360training's OSHA Outreach training courses
AdvanceOnline
AdvanceOnline provides online training courses that cater to businesses, agencies, and services in a variety of fields. These include construction, manufacturing, utilities, transportation, and more.
The company’s OSHA Online Outreach Training Program courses are video-based and give students access to an extensive online library of resources. Furthermore, these courses are interactive, easy to navigate, and based on real-life scenarios. Once students accomplish their courses, they will receive a plastic DOL card from their authorized trainers.
Aside from OSHA Outreach Training Program, AdvanceOnline also offers several other OSHA-related training courses. These include Electrical Safety (Construction), Electrical Safety (General Industry), Fall Protection, Fire Safety, Lockout/Tagout, and more.
OSHA Course Offerings:
- OSHA 10 Hour Construction
- OSHA 30 Hour Construction
- OSHA 10 Hour General Industry
See AdvanceOnline's OSHA Outreach training courses
CareerSafe
CareerSafe is a youth-oriented workplace safety training provider. It offers low-cost and accessible online training for young workers who are about to start their first job. Because young workers aged 16 to 24 have the highest rates of injuries and illnesses in the workplace, CareerSafe saw a need to ensure that young people enter the workforce already knowledgeable about potential hazards.
Compared to other similar training providers, CareerSafe offers relatively low prices for its OSHA Outreach Training Program courses. Additionally, the courses are mobile-friendly, 100% online, and available in Spanish. Online study guides are also guaranteed to be free.
In 2020, CareerSafe started offering plastic DOL cards.
OSHA Course Offerings:
- OSHA 10 Hour Construction (also available in Spanish)
- OSHA 10 Hour General Industry (also available in Spanish)
See CareerSafe's OSHA Outreach training courses
ClickSafety
ClickSafety is a prolific provider of online safety training, with over 20 years of experience under its belt and over 10,000 clients. It helps foster safer workplaces in various industries, including construction, manufacturing, and more. All courses offered by ClickSafety are designed by qualified subject matter experts that ensure that all information in the courses is up-to-date.
Students who complete the 10 Hour and 30 Hour OSHA Online Outreach Training Program courses will receive a plastic DOL card with a QR code. ClickSafety will have the card delivered 6 to 8 weeks after the completion of a course.
OSHA Course Offerings:
- OSHA 10 Hour Construction (also available in Spanish)
- OSHA 30 Hour Construction
- OSHA 10 Hour General Industry
- OSHA 30 Hour General Industry
See ClickSafety's OSHA Outreach training courses
PureSafety (UL)
PureSafety is now known as UL EHS Sustainability, a division of UL, a 127-year-old safety science company. UL EHS Sustainability aids employers, organizations, and businesses in reducing risks, ensuring compliance, and improving productivity in the workplace. It has been providing safety training since 1999.
Students can enroll in the OSHA 10 and 30 Hour Construction courses and the 10 Hour General Industry course. The 10 Hour Construction course also has a Spanish-language version. There are also actively proctored versions of the 10 and 30 Hour courses, which take longer than the prescribed 10 and 30 hours.
OSHA Course Offerings:
- OSHA 10 Hour Construction (also available in Spanish)
- OSHA 30 Hour Construction
- OSHA 10 Hour General Industry
See PureSafety's OSHA Outreach Training Courses
RedVector
RedVector is a provider of online occupational safety and health training courses as well as training courses for various industries. It has a considerable online library that boasts over 4,000 interactive courses, with more to come in the future.
This provider’s OSHA Outreach Training Program courses are all 100% online and are easily accessible. Students have a better chance of finishing the course more quickly, thus allowing them to fulfill state or employer requirements for DOL cards.
Courses offered by RedVector are comprehensive and designed for entry-level workers as well as employees in supervisory roles. The OSHA 10 Hour Construction course has a Spanish-language version as well.
OSHA Course Offerings:
- OSHA 10 Hour Construction (also available in Spanish)
- OSHA 30 Hour Construction
- OSHA 10 Hour General Industry
See RedVector's OSHA Outreach training courses
Summit Training Source
Summit Training Source provides highly effective OSHA Online Outreach Training Program courses. It is part of HSI, an organization that provides a variety of safety training courses and solutions.
Students have access to free study guides, which are available for the 10 Hour and 30 Hour courses for Construction and General Industry. Summit Training Source also promises that students who have finished their training courses will be able to receive their plastic DOL cards more quickly compared to other providers. While other providers can take over a month to deliver DOL cards, Summit Training Source students can receive their cards in 2 to 3 weeks.
OSHA Course Offerings:
- OSHA 10 Hour Construction
- OSHA 30 Hour Construction
- OSHA 10 Hour General Industry
- OSHA 30 Hour General Industry
See Summit Training Source's OSHA Outreach training courses
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida OSHA Training Institute Education Center offers a variety of online training and technical courses, which include the 10 and 30 Hour courses for the occupational safety and health Online Outreach Training Program.
Each of these courses covers vital topics, such as basic safety training, hazard recognition and avoidance, safety and health programs, exit routes and emergency action plans, and more. Furthermore, these courses have full audio narration as well as interactive exercises. They are designed to be effective as well as easy to accomplish.
Though the courses are online, students will have access to an OSHA-certified instructor in any event that they have questions or need help with any part of the curriculum.
OSHA Course Offerings:
- OSHA 10 Hour Construction (also available in Spanish)
- OSHA 30 Hour Construction (also available in Spanish)
- OSHA 10 Hour General Industry
- OSHA 30 Hour General Industry
See USF's OSHA Outreach training courses
How to Choose the Best Training Provider
There are different factors to consider when choosing the right course and training provider. It’s important to make sure that the provider and training course you choose is the best fit for you. Doing so entails carefully considering all available options and deciding on the best one.
It’s important to remember that the vendors in the list above are all independent service providers. They are not employed by OSHA, though they are authorized to provide OSHA Online Outreach Training Program courses. OSHA thus recommends reaching out to at least a few training providers before choosing one.
Students can also ask to verify a trainer’s authorization and credentials. Trainers should have a valid Authorized Trainer card, which should display its expiration date on the front. The card should also display the name of the authorizing training organization (ATO) that gave the trainer their authorization. Students can contact a trainer’s ATO to verify authorization.
It’s also best to choose only among OSHA-authorized training providers, all of which are listed in this article. Unauthorized vendors can legally claim to offer the same courses, so prospective students need to be discerning. Authorized vendors will always explicitly state that they will be providing DOL cards upon completion of courses.
Online OSHA Training Benefits
These courses are also offered as in-person classes with authorized trainers. While in-person classes certainly have their own merits, online classes have their own benefits as well.
For one thing, online courses can be more accessible to a larger amount of people. Many interested students might not live or work close to any place that offers in-person classes. Because online courses can be done nearly anywhere, prospective students can enroll regardless of where they live in the United States.
Additionally, undergoing OSHA training online can be quite flexible in terms of hours and schedule. Students will be able to finish their courses while employed, in school, or while catering to other commitments.
The vendors listed above also have different fees, and prospective students will likely be able to find course offerings that are within their price range.
All in all, OSHA Outreach Training Program courses can open up new employment opportunities in the future. Enrolling in these courses will give people the tools and knowledge they need to recognize and handle hazards in the workplace. After all, continuous training is an important and effective way of ensuring the health and safety of employees in the workplace.