Does Your OSHA 10-Hour Construction Card Expire and If it Does, When’s Recertification Due?
If you read job descriptions for certain states or industries, you’ll see postings that say something like “Applicants must have current OSHA 10 Training.”
You’ll also hear employers sometime refer to this as a “DOL card.” DOL card refers to the Department of Labor’s plastic wallet card you receive upon completing your training to show you’ve received training.
But what is OSHA 10-hour training? And how long is “current”?
What is OSHA 10-Hour Training?
OSHA 10 is shorthand for an OSHA 10-hour OSHA Outreach training course. Outreach training teaches workers about common hazards found on job sites and how they can be prevented. There are multiple kinds of OSHA 10 training such as Construction, General Industry because workers need safety information specific to their job site.
OSHA 10-hour training will be taught by an authorized trainer, administered online or in-person, consisting of at least 10 hours of training. The curriculum of your course will include quizzes throughout your training modules and a final assessment at the end of the course.
Upon completion of your course, you will become eligible for your U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) card. This card is accepted by many employers to get you access to their job sites.
What Type of OSHA 10 Hour Training Do I Need?
OSHA Outreach Training programs come in a few different categories based on your job. These categories are typically called industries. Make sure you take a course that relates to the work you perform.
OSHA tried to balance the need for trainer’s to teach standardized training courses but also allow trainers to tailor their courses to their students. The Outreach Training Program requires trainers to teach specific topics but can expand upon other topics as they see fit.
There are currently two types of 10-Hour training courses OSHA 10-Hour Construction and General Industry. Any courses that cover hazards specific to Construction will fall into the OSHA 10 Construction category. If you don’t work in construction you will most likely take OSHA 10 General Industry.
General Industry could basically be every job that isn’t construction. There are dozens of General Industry courses geared towards manufacturing jobs and other industrial type positions. You can even find OSHA 10 General courses made for Healthcare and more industry specific training courses.
If you find yourself in need of a General Industry course, pay close attention to the curriculum of the courses offered. With such wide variety you’ll want to make sure the training you are receiving is worth your time and includes topics that relate to safety hazards you may encounter on the job.
Do I Need an OSHA 10 Card?
Kind of.
OSHA made their Outreach Training program voluntary. Completing an Outreach Course by itself will not fulfill your employer safety and health training requirements. That being said if you decide to take a course at least you have something to build off of.
Certain employers or jurisdictions will require you to obtain a DOL card. The DOL card is basically provided so that government bureaucrats have a standard piece of training they can point to and say “ Every employee must receive at least this safety training.”
By government regulations OSHA 10 is required mainly in the construction industry by state and local governments. The only industry outside of construction that we’re aware of that requires all workers to take OSHA 10 is Nevada’s entertainment industry.
OSHA 10 General.
Your employer may still require all new hires to have completed an OSHA Outreach Training course if it’s not required. If not required many will still prefer hiring someone that has taken the course.
Why / Where is OSHA 10 Required for Construction?
Requiring your employees to have OSHA 10-hour Construction training makes sense because construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the country.
Construction and Demolition only makes up 5-7% of the workforce but 20% of worker deaths were caused to construction workers. That translates to over 1000 deaths per year. The rates for injury and illness are also significantly higher than average. Keep in mind this is despite 1 in 4 construction workers admitting they didn’t report a work injury.
In cities outside of the construction industry you will see that entire cities or States require OSHA 10 training for all employees. More commonly you will see local governments require contractors working on publicly funded projects to have their employees take OSHA 10.
To stay up-to-date on OSHA training requirements employers must complete every time they want to work on public projects. Contractors are required to show proof that all employees have taken and have current OSHA 10 training.
The best way to see if you need OSHA 10 is to ask local employers in your area or search for your state, counties or city for laws requiring the training. We try to keep all of this information comprehensive on our lists but they are constantly changing.
Will My OSHA 10 Expire?
Your OSHA DOL card itself never expires. The agency’s that require you to have a up-to-date OSHA 10 card such as your employer or local government will require you to retake the course every number of years.
How Often Do I Have to Renew My OSHA 10 Course?
Your employer or local government will typically require every 3-5 years. Places like Connecticut, Miami and Philadelphia require you to renew every 5 years.
Prepare for OSHA 10-hour Training in New Mexico with Safety Counselling
OSHA doesn’t provide any training courses for workers. They simply give authorized approval of other companies giving training to workers. Some of these OSHA authorized training companies offer online OSHA courses. We offer in person OSHA training courses that take 2-days to complete.
Safety Counselling Offers OSHA 10-hour training for Construction workers and OSHA 30-hour Construction training for Construction supervisors.
Head over to our website to register for your course today and earn your official DOL card upon completion.