How Do You Distinguish the Dissimilarity from OSHA 10-Hour Training and OSHA 30-Hour Training?

If you’ve been told that you need an OSHA DOL card for work, then you’re most likely familiar with two choices: OSHA 10 and OSHA 30.

But what’s the difference? And which one do you need? Not to worry. This guide compares the key differences between the two courses, who they’re for and how to determine which is best based on your role and industry.

What Is OSHA 10 and 30?

First, let’s be clear on what we even mean by OSHA 10 and OSHA 30.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates the requirements for a job-related safety protocol-training program referred to as OSHA Outreach training. For every sector, the OSHA Outreach program is offered in two categories: OSHA 10 and OSHA 30. Everyone who completes a course is issued a durable plastic wallet card.

This coursework is not mandatory, according to OSHA. They developed it in the 1970s when there was a groundswell of demand for minimum OSH knowledge and understanding across many sectors of industry. Local government, employers, and organizations all saw the need for a standardized type of training that would serve as a minimum quality of safety preparedness in an OSHA standard 10-hour training format, and these OSHA Outreach courses were OSHA’s answer.

Today, they still serve that function.

What Is the Difference Between OSHA 10 and OSHA 30?

There are several important distinctions between OSHA 10 and OSHA 30. Those dissimilarities are as follows;

• Length of OSHA 10 vs. OSHA 30
• The number part of OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 is the length of the curriculum.
• OSHA 10 courses include 10 hours of instructional time, plus quizzes, tests, and breaks.
• OSHA 30 is three times as long.

Who Needs OSHA 10-hour vs. OSHA 30-hour

We will discuss “Who has to have OSHA 10?” and “Who needs OSHA 30?” in a minute, because the answers are a bit more enigmatic than OSHA imagined in the first place. But it’s knowing OSHA’s target audiences for each course that turns out to be the key to understanding the differences.

OSHA 10 is written for employees who only have responsibility for themselves.

OSHA 30, which is far longer, since it’s for workers who oversee other employees. That’s not limited to supervisors, managers, engineers and site leads as well as project managers and safety specialists.

OSHA 10 vs. OSHA 30 Curriculum

All OSHA Outreach classes, in any industry or level, begin with an Introduction to OSHA. It teaches everyone what OSHA is, why it matters and who has what rights when it comes to workers in America — and the standards that OSHA does enforce.

Other than this, the OSHA Outreach course differs depending on the level and industry. Each industry has a core list of topics that addresses the hazardous conditions and the hazards most frequently encountered in that industry, and an elective list of topics which address more specific hazard conditions encountered by certain jobs.

The bulk of the time in OSHA-10 is devoted to required industry topics (6 or 7 of the contact hours). Time does allow instructors to personalize the curriculum a bit for their audience, but they can only squeeze in the most essential topics.

OSHA 30 is industry and hazard specific in its coverage but then it also delves more expansively. The bulk of those extra hours are in the “broader” – as you think about it, if you’re going to have a supervisory level certification then there is going to be additional rules that they should know relative to his whole crew, which is why OSHA 30 covers many added elective subject areas.

But OSHA 30 also delves into the “how” of OSHA. Since it is designed for supervisors, every single OSHA 30 includes the required topic called Managing Safety and Health, which discusses the kinds of responsibilities that OSHA places on management – everything from things like job site inspections to injury and illness prevention programs to accident prevention programs to hazard identification and control, how safety meetings are conducted, supervisory communication and so on.

How Do You Know If You Need OSHA 10 vs. OSHA 30?

The differences between OSHA 10 vs. 30 For most people, whether to take OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 is straightforward. Are you responsible for someone else on the job? Next, you will require OSHA’s 30-hour version of your industry’s Outreach program. If not, you can do the 10-hour version.

There are exceptions, however.

Some states, counties, or municipalities have regulations mandating OSHA Outreach (or similar safety training) for specific types of workers. At other times, they require OSHA 30, even when workers have no supervisory duties. If you are subject to one of these laws, then you should be able to discover the specific course requirements that they make.

Your employer also may have policies covering what is mandated, or preferred, for your job.

Before you even choose a class, it’s best to see if there are any government and employer-mandated prerequisites.

When Would You Need Both OSHA 10 and OSHA 30?

In a Career when you know your a career laborer, your likely to take both – if not OSHA 10 first, and then when you move into management or have even just climbed up the ladder enough where that would be reasonable.

But there are a few instances where students believe they may have to take both courses, yet don’t.

Is OSHA 10 And OSHA 30 The Same?

No – OSHA 10 can’t be taken as a requirement for course of OSHA 30. If you have never taken the 10-hour course, you still may take the 30-hour course.

For instance, if you could use a position where you want the supervisor-level OSHA Outreach class but have never received the 10-hour card, that’s perfectly acceptable. It’s possible to simply take the course that your employer wants.

If I Have OSHA 30, Do I Need OSHA 10?

Some states require anyone to have an OSHA 10 card, and in other states even those who are not supervisors must get an OSHA 30 card. If you’ve already received your OSHA 30 and then move to a state that requires the OSHA 10, do you need to retake it?

Probably not. Almost all states directly incorporate into their rules that OSHA 30 is equivalent to OSHA 10. But in other states, there’s required renewal frequency by which the DOL card “expires.” If that’s the case, you might have to take a new one if your original certificate was obtained too many years ago.

Does OSHA 30-hour Cover OSHA 10-hour?

OSHA 30 classes do cover all material required in OSHA 10-hour courses of that industry, and that’s why OSHA 10 isn’t a prerequisite for OSHA 30, and when you have the certificate of completing your training you don’t need to undergo safety training of those many hours again even though it is more comprehensive.

Where to Get OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 Cards?

OSHA does not conduct Outreach classes itself. Instead, they “train the trainers” by subjecting third-party training providers to rigorous industry-specific coursework. These trainers are now referred to as “OSHA-authorized” and may issue trainees official OSHA 10 or 30 cards.

We are an OSHA-authorized training provider. We offer both 10-hour and 30-hour courses.

At the conclusion of the course, we will provide a certificate that can be downloaded and mail you a durable plastic DOL card.

Register today with Safety Counseling to get started – Visit our OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 course pages and you’ll be on your way!