Becoming an OSHA Instructor

For humane, economic and legal reasons, no one should risk his life or put himself in danger for the sake of work. Workplace injury whether to employees, suppliers, visitors or passers-by results to both monetary and non-monetary costs to the victim, the company owner and the government. That is why the government has put in place the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as a regulating body under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. It trains people to implement measures to ensure the safety and well being of American workers, by among others, training people on how to implement safety procedures in the workplace. Would you like to be one with OSHA in spreading safety practices at work? Be an OSHA instructor.

Where to Get OSHA Instructor Training

OSHA provides training to people who would like to teach others how to implement safety measures in their place of work. They do it directly through their OSHA Outreach Training Program. They also have authorized third parties who provide similar trainings. The training qualifies trainees to teach 10-hour or 30-hour courses in construction (or 500 basic instructor course) or general industry (or 501 basic instructor course) safety and health hazards. The training lasts for a week. It is conducted by the OSHA Training Institute and the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers.

Requirements for OSHA Trainees

To train for a Course 500, you must have 5 years of construction safety experience and have completed training on Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry or an equivalent training. To train for a Course 501, you must have 5 years of general industry safety experience and have completed Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry or an equivalent training. Completion of the course qualifies one to teach courses about safety and health hazard recognition and prevention in construction or general industry. The authority to teach lasts for four years, at which time, the trainer must attend an updated course. If you are interested to attend a trainer's course, find an OSHA Training Institute and the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers near you. They are located around the country. If you are a trainer, you can enlist your profile in OutreachTrainers.org. This is an OSHA recognized site (a free site) where outreach trainers put their names and training schedules so that workers looking for training may easily find one that they can avail of. For more information on how you can become an OSHA instructor, visit this Web link.