OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety Course Now Mandatory in 7 States

Nevada has joined the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, and Missouri as the seventh state to have a law requiring construction workers to complete the OSHA 10-hour construction safety training course before they can work on certain construction projects. The Nevada OSHA training law will become effective Jan. 1, 2010.

Most of the state laws require the training only for workers on publicly funded construction sites, such as public roads, bridges, and public school buildings; however, the Nevada law requires all construction workers to complete the course. According to Curtis Chambers, vice president of OSHA Pro’s Inc., there are slight nuances between the state laws even though all seven require the same 10-hour training class. “A particular state law may require all laborers and supervisors to complete the class, whereas another state law may require the class just for laborers,” says Chambers. “There are also varying thresholds for the dollar amounts of the contracts that dictate when the states’ laws become effective. However, each of these state laws contain a provision that say failure to comply with their rule can result in fines and penalties being assessed, typically to the employer of the non-compliant workers. So affected workers are required to obtain the OSHA 10-hour construction training wallet card to prove they completed the course.”

The OSHA 10-hour construction outreach training course was developed as a voluntary safety course by the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) to teach workers about the hazards of construction work and the regulations applicable to their worksite. The seven states that have made the course mandatory did so in hope that this training will reduce the number of injuries and fatalities afflicting construction workers.

The course can be conducted by instructors authorized by OSHA to conduct this training and issue the OSHA cards. Some large companies have their own OSHA trainer on staff, and there are private safety consultants and companies that conduct the course for a fee. OSHA has also authorized online 10-hour training courses. For more information, visit www.osha10hourtraining.com.