Considerations When Selecting OSHA 10-hour or OSHA 30-hour Training Courses

Job site Requirements for OSHA 10-Hour and 30-Hour Training

The first thing to ask when choosing between a 10-hour or 30-hour class is, are there any employer or job-site requirements? Some people seek out either OSHA 10 training or OSHA 30-hour training because it is a condition of employment at a company where they want to get a job, or a general contractor site owner makes it a mandatory job-site requirement to have a specific OSHA card to access their job-site. In fact, there are several states with laws on the books where either a 10 or 30-hour OSHA training card is required to step foot on certain types of construction sites. So, don’t guess which course you need, because you could be wrong. Instead, ask your boss or the general contractor at the site you want to access which course they require you to have, if any, because taking the wrong OSHA training class will be a complete waste of your time and money.

As for those who are wondering if an OSHA 10-hour training course or an OSHA 30-hour training course is best when neither one is a mandatory job-site requirement, we recommend you base your decision on the job of the employee to be trained. Front-line workers typically take the 0SHA 10-hour training course, as it covers about eight to ten topics at a basic level, whereas employees at higher levels in an organization, such as supervisors, managers, and safety personnel usually take the 30-hour course, which covers over 20 health and safety-related topics in greater detail.

Is it a Requirement to Take the OSHA 10-hour Training Before You Take the OSHA 30-hour Training?

One more important thing a prospective trainee and their employer needs to be aware of is that, according to federal OSHA, the OSHA 10-hour training course is not a prerequisite to take an OSHA 30-hour training course. Some trainers and online training providers try to trick you into thinking you must take the OSHA 10-hour course first, before you are allowed to take the OSHA 30-hour course. And it is certainly the prerogative of an employer or contractor to make both courses a requirement for accessing their work site. However, there is absolutely no federal OSHA requirement for a student to take the 10-hour training before they can take the 30-hour training, nor does it offer the student any advantage.

The topics covered in the 10-hour course are also covered in the 30-hour course, so the training provided on those topics will be redundant. Secondly, if you are on a job-site that requires you to show an OSHA 10-hour wallet card to work there, possessing the 30-hour OSHA wallet card is even better, as OSHA policy states the OSHA 30 card supersedes the 10-hour card. So, if your ultimate goal is to get the OSHA 30-hour training wallet card and you want to save yourself a lot of time and money, just forego taking the OSHA 10-hour course, and take the OSHA 30-hour course instead.

Applying an OSHA 10-hour Training Course Towards an OSHA 30-hour Training Course

I’ll close out this topic by addressing the often-asked question about whether or not a person who completed an OSHA 10-hour training course is able to obtain 20 more hours of training later, and then get the OSHA 30-hour card too. OSHA has very strict rules about that.

First of all, that practice is currently not allowed for any student who took their 10-hour course online. As for a student who completed their original 10-hour class in a classroom setting, the additional 20 hours of classroom training must be provided by the same trainer who conducted their initial training class. In addition, all 30 hours of the training, from the beginning of the 10-hour class to the end of the additional 20-hours of classroom training, must take place during a contiguous six-month period. And, of course, the training for both the initial 10 hours of training and the additional 20 hours must be in the same category of training; for example, all construction course training, or all general industry training. Last but not least, though, the student does not get to keep both cards; they will have to turn in their 10-hour wallet card to the trainer before they can receive their 30-hour wallet card if they go this route.

OSHA 10 & 30-hour Training Resources

Employers or workers wanting to get additional information about obtaining OSHA 10 or 30-hour training from an OSHA-authorized training in a classroom setting, or via an OSHA-authorized online training course, can contact us through our website. And please scroll down to share your thoughts with us about this topic in the “Comments” section of this post. Thanks – Curtis