The Occupational Health & Safety Administration – otherwise known as OSHA – is a governmental organization in the U.S. that ensures the overall safety and health of men and women in the workforce. OSHA’s stated mission is to support this workforce through “setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.” (via OSHA.gov). As one can imagine, the amount of industries and occupations that OSHA covers is vast, and there are too many types of working environments in the U.S. to cover all job-specific hazards with one cover-all training program. Thus, there are a huge variety of OSHA certifications out there! Just in the world of construction, there many common OSHA training programs across all sorts of project types. One of the most common OSHA training programs in the field of construction is the OSHA 30-Hour, aka the ‘OSHA 30‘. An OSHA 30 completion certificate is obtained after receiving 30 hours of specific construction safety training from a qualified instructor. While this is traditionally done in the classroom, more and more people are getting OSHA 30 “certified” online – I know, because I’ve done it myself! Let’s discuss getting OSHA 30 training online (pros and cons), along with my own personal OSHACampus review from when I received my OSHA 30 training online.
Table of Contents:
- Defining OSHA “Certification”
- Who Needs An OSHA 30 Card?
- What Does The OSHA 30 Cover?
- Benefits & Drawbacks of OSHA 30 Online + OSHACampus Review
Although you’ve probably got an understanding of the OSHA 30-Hour “Certification” already, let’s cover a few basics.
Defining OSHA “Certification”
OSHA does not actually certify anyone! There is no OSHA database tracking the individual training of anybody. OSHA is a governing body that sets standards, enforces rules and helps the workforce with training and education. While they play a huge role in the workplace, it’s not to oversee an individual person or organization’s training.
So where does certification come into play?
OSHA does create training material, but OSHA training programs are run through approved educators. These educators issue certificates and physical OSHA ‘Dept. of Labor’ (DOL) cards once a person has received the necessary training.
In short, you will receive a certificate of completion (and DOL / OSHA card) after completing an authorized OSHA training program, but nobody is ever officially OSHA-certified. These cards are extremely important, as they represent your training and education on vital health and safety topics. You must have one physically with you just to enter a job site in many cases!
Who Needs An OSHA 30 Card?
The two most common OSHA training programs in construction are the OSHA 10-Hour and OSHA 30-Hour.
The ‘OSHA 10’ provides education on the basic health and safety hazards that exist on a construction site, along with how to stay safe while working. Since the OSHA 10 covers a variety of topics on a basic level only, the OSHA 10 is best suited for entry-level workers and onsite staff.
The OSHA 30 is similar to the OSHA 10 in terms of topics, but it’s a much more in-depth training program – 20 additional hours of education is provided.
Given that the OSHA 30 is much more in-depth, the OSHA 30 program is necessary for project superintendents, foremen, project manager and other managerial roles on a job site.
It’s changing fast. In New York City, for instance, all workers on job sites must receive 30 hours of training (as of 2019). Who knows, there may come a day in the near future where everyone on a job site will need an OSHA 30 nationwide.
What Does The OSHA 30 Cover?
The OSHA 30-Hour training program is a comprehensive safety program that teaches a variety of health and safety topics to workers who are covered by OSHA 29 CFR 1926 “Safety & Health Regulations For Construction”.
Below is the present curriculum for the OSHA 30-Hour program that OSHACampus offers, which we’ll talk about in the next section:
- Introduction to OSHA
- Managing Safety and Health
- OSHA Focus Four Hazards
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Health Hazards in Construction
- Stairways and Ladders
- Concrete and Masonry Construction
- Confined Spaces
- Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, Elevators and Conveyors
- Ergonomics
- Excavations
- Fire Protection and Prevention
- Materials Handling, Use and Disposal
- Rollover Protective Structures, Overhead Protection, Signs, Signals & Barricades
- Safety and Health Programs
- Scaffolds
- Tools: Hand and Power
- Welding and Cutting
- Silica Exposure
- Lead Exposure
- Asbestos Exposure
Now let’s get into my own experiences with taking an OSHA 30 program online, including an OSHACampus review with my honest feedback.
Disclosure: PM Problems is affiliated with OSHACampus, which is owned by 360Training. We may receive payment or compensation from OSHACampus / 360Training when you make a purchase through our links. The price you pay will not change.
OSHA 30 Online: Pros & Cons [My OSHACampus Review]
For a bit of backstory, I’ve taken two OSHA classes in my life. I received OSHA 10 training from an in-person instructor many years ago, and I received OSHA 30 training online a few years back. My employer paid for us to receive the training through OSHACampus, which is owned by 360Training. PM Problems was but an idea in my mind at that time! Getting sentimental here. Anyways…
I aim to cover two topics:
- Taking OSHA training online vs. in-person with an instructor
- My experience with getting OSHA training through OSHACampus
As for their legitimacy, here’s an excerpt from the OSHACampus site:
“360Training is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). 360Training complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. As a result of this accreditation, 360Training is authorized to issue the IACET CEU.“
Now onto my experience with receiving OSHA 30 training through OSHACampus. Here’s what I liked about it, some drawbacks and my overall opinion.
Just to reiterate, OSHACampus is a part of 360Training – I refer to both below, but they are the same entity.
Online OSHA 30 From OSHACampus: What I Liked
Let’s start with the good. Here are the things I liked about getting OSHA 30 training online through OSHACampus!
1. Flexible Schedule. This is by far the biggest advantage of getting OSHA training online. You can tackle the 30 hours of training whatever way you like; a few hours per day over a couple weeks or a few minutes here and there – the choice is yours. You can work through the course wherever and whenever you can.
2. Frequent Quizzes. So much material is covered in an OSHA 30 program that it’s near impossible to take everything in at once. When getting OSHA training from an in-person instructor, the level of engagement and frequency of quizzes or quiz-like comprehension checks can vary a lot. OSHACampus makes it easy to stay engaged through quizzes at the end of each module, which help you prepare for the final exam at the end of the program.
3. No Missed Work. Many in-person OSHA training courses run during the day and take multiple successive days to finish. If you work in construction, you know how hard it is to miss multiple days in a row for training. Given that an OSHA 30 course typically takes four-five full days in a classroom setting to complete, you’ll end up juggling work the whole time and playing catch up for weeks! OSHACampus solved this problem for me.
4. Save Money On Group Training. While this could be the case for classroom OSHA courses as well, OSHACampus offers bulk discounts for companies and organizations alike. Depending on your needs and the timing of you reading this, you may want to take advantage of this!
5. COVID Benefits. We’re all sick of hearing about it, but it’s still true. In-person classes and training are less desirable now than they were pre-COVID. Online OSHA training is no exception.
6. Updated Content. OSHA rules and standards are always evolving. In turn, OSHACampus is always updating their programs too. When taking OSHA training through OSHACampus, you know that you’re getting the most updated and current information that some instructors may not cover in as much detail.
7. Customer Support. OSHACampus offers support via phone and chat seven days per week.
Online OSHA 30 From OSHACampus: Drawbacks
I don’t have anything bad to say about getting OSHA training online through OSHACampus, but there are some things to be aware of that you may consider drawbacks or “deal breakers”. Here are a few things to know.
1. You MUST Complete 30 Hours of Training. The OSHA courses offered by OSHACampus cover a set amount of material. You may be able to complete the individual lectures and module quizzes in less than 30 hours, but the OSHACampus program operates on a timer basis – you may end up finishing the lectures and quizzes several hours early, but you’ll need to just let the program “run its’ course” until it hits 30 hours on the mark. In short, you can only sort-of finish early.
2. Access To Training Expires Within 180 Days. Want to stretch out your OSHA training over the course of a year? Got some bad news. Your subscription to OSHACampus OSHA programs will expire within 180 days of first starting it. This is actually OSHA’s restriction – not OSHACampus. While I don’t personally see it as a deal-breaker or even something to worry about, I do want to disclose it.
3. Maximum of 7.5 Hours Per Day. If you’re planning to cram in an online OSHA 30-hour training program over the course of a weekend, you’ll want to reconsider. OSHACampus only allows students to complete 7.5 hours of training in a given day. This still allows students to finish the course in four days, but most of us who opt to take courses online won’t spend that many hours on it in a given day anyways.
4. No-Frills Interface. It’s worth mentioning that the interface of OSHACampus is basic, straightforward and purely functional. While it’s easy to follow, it’s not exciting. OSHA classes aren’t meant to be flashy or exciting, though – they’re meant to be as informative as possible. For the younger users out there who’ve used a variety of online training programs before, they may find OSHACampus plain.
5. U.S. Jurisdictions Only. To officially complete the course and receive your DOL card, you must access the training and complete the exams from within U.S. Jurisdiction only. Just a heads up for some of our international readers!
My Overall Opinion Of Online OSHA Training & My OSHACampus Review
At the end of the day, online OSHA training isn’t meant to be fun, because it’s a very serious topic. An OSHA 30-hour training course should be as informative and value-packed as possible, because the lives and well-being of workers are at stake!
Traditional OSHA training that takes place in the classroom is not bad per se, but your experience can vary per instructor. You also have to attend the training at specific times and places, which can eat into work and be difficult to juggle with our lives.
OSHACampus gets rid of all those issues. It’s flexible, easy to access, simple to follow and allows you to take in the material at your own pace, all while staying engaged and checking your comprehension along the way. Their material reflects OSHA’s latest standards and regulations, and they offer customer support seven days per week.
Overall, I give OSHACampus an A-, or 4.6 out of 5.0. They’re not perfect, but their online OSHA training does what it’s supposed to do – and does it well. There’s certainly no guarantee of perfection from any other program or in-person instructor! If you’re looking to receive OSHA 30 training online, I truly don’t think you’ll be disappointed with OSHACampus.
In Closing
I hope this article on getting OSHA 30 “certified” online has been helpful and informative! Thanks for reading and stay safe out there.
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2 thoughts on “Getting OSHA 30 Certified Online: My Experience [OSHACampus Review]”
It’s good to know that you will get a certificate of completion for completed an OSHA program that has been authorized. That would make it a lot easier than having to go somewhere in person. Completing it online would also make it easier for your workers.
Thanks for the comment and yes, definitely easier overall!