Cal/OSHA Training Courses

• Cal/OSHA 10-Hour Training. for Construction. Designed for entry-level construction workers.
• Cal/OSHA 10-Hour Training. for General Industry. Designed for entry-level general industry workers.
• Cal/OSHA 30-Hour Training. for Construction.
• Cal/OSHA 30-Hour Training. for General Industry.

What is the best OSHA course to take?

Which is the Best OSHA Training Course?

What are the requirements for OSHA 30 in California?

To satisfy Cal/OSHA training requirements, general industry supervisors must complete a 30-hour OSHA Outreach course and three hours of supplementary training on Cal/OSHA regulations.

Is safety training required in California?

Safety and health training is one of the most important required elements of IIPPs, which are required in California. Temporary employees and contractors who will perform work at a job site or workplace also need training before they begin their assignments.

Does North Carolina have a state OSHA?

Informal Conferences and Appeals – The NC OSH Division conducts informal conferences in an effort to resolve contested cases. When a citation is contested, the case is reviewed by the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. For more information on these proceedings, please visit the North Carolina State Plan website.

What training is mandatory for employees in California?

California Employer Requirements –

Employers must retain records of all employees’ training for a minimum of two years. Employers must provide sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to employees every two years. Employers must provide employees with a poster or fact sheet developed by the Department regarding sexual harassment, or equivalent information. To learn more about this and other requirements, please see our Frequently Asked Questions,

At what height is fall protection required in California?

Wall openings that are greater than 30′ high and 18′ wide need to be protected with guardrails when the bottom of the opening is less than 36′ above the working surface and the fall is more than 4′. Ladder openings need to be guarded with off-set guardrails or swinging gate must be provided.

What are the training requirements for ergonomics?

There are no specific training requirements for ergonomics. However, employees who have been trained to identify and avoid ergonomic hazards are better able to avoid those hazards, leading to a safer workplace.

Is OSHA required in California?

Almost all workers in California are protected by Cal/OSHA regulations (called ‘standards’). This includes public employees and immigrant workers who are not legally authorized to work in California.

Is California an OSHA state?

Wyoming – Wyoming operates an OSHA-approved State Plan covering most private sector workers and all state and local government workers. Contact: Wyoming Department of Workforce Services – Wyoming Safety (OSHA) 5221 Yellowstone Road Cheyenne, WY 82002 Tel: (307) 777-7786 Fax: (307) 777-3646 Wyoming State Plan

What is the free fall distance for OSHA?

1. By Standard Number
2. 1910 Subpart I App C – Personal Fall Protection Systems Non-Mandatory Guidelines.

Appendix C to Subpart I of Part 1910 – Personal Fall Protection Systems Non-Mandatory Guidelines The following information generally applies to all personal fall protection systems and is intended to assist employers and employees comply with the requirements of § 1910.140 for personal fall protection systems.

• (a) Planning considerations. It is important for employers to plan prior to using personal fall protection systems. Probably the most overlooked component of planning is locating suitable anchorage points. Such planning should ideally be done before the structure or building is constructed so that anchorage points can be used later for window cleaning or other building maintenance.
• (b) Selection and use considerations.
  • (1) The kind of personal fall protection system selected should be appropriate for the employee’s specific work situation. Free fall distances should always be kept to a minimum. Many systems are designed for particular work applications, such as climbing ladders and poles; maintaining and servicing equipment; and window cleaning. Consideration should be given to the environment in which the work will be performed. For example, the presence of acids, dirt, moisture, oil, grease, or other substances, and their potential effects on the system selected, should be evaluated. The employer should fully evaluate the work conditions and environment (including seasonal weather changes) before selecting the appropriate personal fall protection system. Hot or cold environments may also affect fall protection systems. Wire rope should not be used where electrical hazards are anticipated. As required by § 1910.140(c)(21), the employer must provide a means for promptly rescuing an employee should a fall occur.
  • (2) Where lanyards, connectors, and lifelines are subject to damage by work operations, such as welding, chemical cleaning, and sandblasting, the component should be protected, or other securing systems should be used. A program for cleaning and maintaining the system may be necessary.
• (c) Testing considerations. Before purchasing a personal fall protection system, an employer should insist that the supplier provide information about its test performance (using recognized test methods) so the employer will know that the system meets the criteria in § 1910.140. Otherwise, the employer should test the equipment to ensure that it is in compliance. Appendix D to this subpart contains test methods which are recommended for evaluating the performance of any system. There are some circumstances in which an employer can evaluate a system based on data and calculations derived from the testing of similar systems. Enough information must be available for the employer to demonstrate that its system and the tested system(s) are similar in both function and design.
• (d) Component compatibility considerations. Ideally, a personal fall protection system is designed, tested, and supplied as a complete system. However, it is common practice for lanyards, connectors, lifelines, deceleration devices, body belts, and body harnesses to be interchanged since some components wear out before others. Employers and employees should realize that not all components are interchangeable. For instance, a lanyard should not be connected between a body harness and a deceleration device of the self-retracting type (unless specifically allowed by the manufacturer) since this can result in additional free fall for which the system was not designed. In addition, positioning components, such as pole straps, ladder hooks and rebar hooks, should not be used in personal fall arrest systems unless they meet the appropriate strength and performance requirements of part 1910 ( e.g., §§ 1910.140, 1910.268 and 1910.269). Any substitution or change to a personal fall protection system should be fully evaluated or tested by a competent person to determine that it meets applicable OSHA standards before the modified system is put in use. Also, OSHA suggests that rope be used according to manufacturers’ recommendations, especially if polypropylene rope is used.
• (e) Employee training considerations. As required by §§ 1910.30 and 1910.132, before an employee uses a fall protection system, the employer must ensure that he or she is trained in the proper use of the system. This may include the following: The limits of the system; proper anchoring and tie-off techniques; estimating free fall distance, including determining elongation and deceleration distance; methods of use; and inspection and storage. Careless or improper use of fall protection equipment can result in serious injury or death. Employers and employees should become familiar with the material in this standard and appendix, as well as manufacturers’ recommendations, before a system is used. It is important for employees to be aware that certain tie-offs (such as using knots and tying around sharp edges) can reduce the overall strength of a system. Employees also need to know the maximum permitted free fall distance. Training should stress the importance of inspections prior to use, the limitations of the equipment to be used, and unique conditions at the worksite that may be important.
• (f) Instruction considerations. Employers should obtain comprehensive instructions from the supplier or a qualified person as to the system’s proper use and application, including, where applicable:
  • (1) The force measured during the sample force test;
  • (2) The maximum elongation measured for lanyards during the force test;
  • (3) The deceleration distance measured for deceleration devices during the force test;
  • (4) Caution statements on critical use limitations;
  • (5) Limits of the system;
  • (6) Proper hook-up, anchoring and tie-off techniques, including the proper D-ring or other attachment point to use on the body harness;
  • (7) Proper climbing techniques;
  • (8) Methods of inspection, use, cleaning, and storage; and
  • (9) Specific lifelines that may be used.
• (g) Inspection considerations. Personal fall protection systems must be inspected before initial use in each workshift. Any component with damage, such as a cut, tear, abrasion, mold, or evidence of undue stretching, an alteration or addition that might affect its effectiveness, damage due to deterioration, fire, acid, or other corrosive damage, distorted hooks or faulty hook springs, tongues that are unfitted to the shoulder of buckles, loose or damaged mountings, non-functioning parts, or wear, or internal deterioration must be removed from service immediately, and should be tagged or marked as unusable, or destroyed. Any personal fall protection system, including components, subjected to impact loading must be removed from service immediately and not used until a competent person inspects the system and determines that it is not damaged and is safe to use for personal fall protection.
• (h) Rescue considerations. As required by § 1910.140(c)(21), when personal fall arrest systems are used, special consideration must be given to rescuing an employee promptly should a fall occur. The availability of rescue personnel, ladders, or other rescue equipment needs to be evaluated since there may be instances in which employees cannot self-rescue ( e.g., employee unconscious or seriously injured). In some situations, equipment allowing employees to rescue themselves after the fall has been arrested may be desirable, such as devices that have descent capability.
• (i) Tie-off considerations. Employers and employees should at all times be aware that the strength of a personal fall arrest system is based on its being attached to an anchoring system that can support the system. Therefore, if a means of attachment is used that will reduce the strength of the system (such as an eye-bolt/snaphook anchorage), that component should be replaced by a stronger one that will also maintain the appropriate maximum deceleration characteristics. The following is a listing of some situations in which employers and employees should be especially cautious:
  • (1) Tie-off using a knot in the lanyard or lifeline (at any location). The strength of the line can be reduced by 50 percent or more if a knot is used. Therefore, a stronger lanyard or lifeline should be used to compensate for the knot, or the lanyard length should be reduced (or the tie-off location raised) to minimize free fall distance, or the lanyard or lifeline should be replaced by one which has an appropriately incorporated connector to eliminate the need for a knot.
  • (2) Tie-off around rough or sharp ( e.g., “H” or “I” beams) surfaces. Sharp or rough surfaces can damage rope lines and this reduces strength of the system drastically. Such tie-offs should be avoided whenever possible. An alternate means should be used such as a snaphook/D-ring connection, a tie-off apparatus (steel cable tie-off), an effective padding of the surfaces, or an abrasion-resistant strap around the supporting member. If these alternative means of tie-off are not available, the employer should try to minimize the potential free fall distance.
  • (3) Knots. Sliding hitch knots should not be used except in emergency situations. The one-and-one sliding hitch knot should never be used because it is unreliable in stopping a fall. The two-and-two, or three-and-three knots (preferable) may be used in emergency situations; however, care should be taken to limit free fall distances because of reduced lifeline/lanyard strength. OSHA requires that a competent or qualified person inspect each knot in a lanyard or vertical lifeline to ensure it meets the strength requirements in § 1910.140.
• (j) Horizontal lifelines. Horizontal lifelines, depending on their geometry and angle of sag, may be subjected to greater loads than the impact load imposed by an attached component. When the angle of horizontal lifeline sag is less than 30 degrees, the impact force imparted to the lifeline by an attached lanyard is greatly amplified. For example, with a sag angle of 15 degrees the force amplification is about 2:1, and at 5 degrees sag it is about 6:1. Depending on the angle of sag, and the line’s elasticity, the strength of the horizontal lifeline, and the anchorages to which it is attached should be increased a number of times over that of the lanyard. Extreme care should be taken in considering a horizontal lifeline for multiple tie-offs. If there are multiple tie-offs to a horizontal lifeline, and one employee falls, the movement of the falling employee and the horizontal lifeline during arrest of the fall may cause other employees to fall. Horizontal lifeline and anchorage strength should be increased for each additional employee to be tied-off. For these and other reasons, the systems using horizontal lifelines must be designed only by qualified persons. OSHA recommends testing installed lifelines and anchors prior to use. OSHA requires that horizontal lifelines are designed, installed and used under the supervision of a qualified person.
• (k) Eye-bolts. It must be recognized that the strength of an eye-bolt is rated along the axis of the bolt, and that its strength is greatly reduced if the force is applied at right angles to this axis (in the direction of its shear strength). Care should also be exercised in selecting the proper diameter of the eye to avoid creating a roll-out hazard (accidental disengagement of the snaphook from the eye-bolt).
• (l) Vertical lifeline considerations. As required by § 1910.140(c)(3), each employee must have a separate lifeline when the lifeline is vertical. If multiple tie-offs to a single lifeline are used, and one employee falls, the movement of the lifeline during the arrest of the fall may pull other employees’ lanyards, causing them to fall as well.
• (m) Snaphook and carabiner considerations. As required by § 1910.140(c)(10), the following connections must be avoided unless the locking snaphook or carabiner has been designed for them because they are conditions that can result in rollout:
  • (1) Direct connection to webbing, rope, or a horizontal lifeline;
  • (2) Two (or more) snaphooks or carabiners connected to one D-ring;
  • (3) Two snaphooks or carabiners connected to each other;
  • (4) Snaphooks or carabiners connected directly to webbing, rope, or wire rope; and
  • (5) Improper dimensions of the D-ring, rebar, or other connection point in relation to the snaphook or carabiner dimensions which would allow the gate to be depressed by a turning motion.
• (n) Free fall considerations. Employers and employees should always be aware that a system’s maximum arresting force is evaluated under normal use conditions established by the manufacturer. OSHA requires that personal fall arrest systems be rigged so an employee cannot free fall in excess of 6 feet (1.8 m). Even a few additional feet of free fall can significantly increase the arresting force on the employee, possibly to the point of causing injury and possibly exceeding the strength of the system. Because of this, the free fall distance should be kept to a minimum, and, as required by § 1910.140(d)(2), must never be greater than 6 feet (1.8 m). To assure this, the tie-off attachment point to the lifeline or anchor should be located at or above the connection point of the fall arrest equipment to the harness. (Otherwise, additional free fall distance is added to the length of the connecting means (i.e., lanyard)). Tying off to the walking-working surface will often result in a free fall greater than 6 feet (1.8 m). For instance, if a 6-foot (1.8-m) lanyard is used, the total free fall distance will be the distance from the walking-working level to the harness connection plus the 6 feet (1.8 m) of lanyard.
• (o) Elongation and deceleration distance considerations. During fall arrest, a lanyard will stretch or elongate, whereas activation of a deceleration device will result in a certain stopping distance. These distances should be available with the lanyard or device’s instructions and must be added to the free fall distance to arrive at the total fall distance before an employee is fully stopped. The additional stopping distance may be significant if the lanyard or deceleration device is attached near or at the end of a long lifeline, which may itself add considerable distance due to its own elongation. As required by § 1910.140(d)(2), sufficient distance to allow for all of these factors must also be maintained between the employee and obstructions below, to prevent an injury due to impact before the system fully arrests the fall. In addition, a minimum of 12 feet (3.7 m) of lifeline should be allowed below the securing point of a rope-grab-type deceleration device, and the end terminated to prevent the device from sliding off the lifeline. Alternatively, the lifeline should extend to the ground or the next working level below. These measures are suggested to prevent the employee from inadvertently moving past the end of the lifeline and having the rope grab become disengaged from the lifeline.
• (p) Obstruction considerations. In selecting a location for tie-off, employers and employees should consider obstructions in the potential fall path of the employee. Tie-offs that minimize the possibilities of exaggerated swinging should be considered.

Is OSHA only in the US?

OSHA Coverage – The OSH Act covers most private sector employers and their workers, in addition to some public sector employers and workers in the 50 states and certain territories and jurisdictions under federal authority. Those jurisdictions include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Wake Island, Johnston Island, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands as defined in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

Is OSHA only in Oregon?

Federal civilian employers are covered by OSHA throughout the four-state region. State, county, municipal and other non-federal public employers are covered by state programs in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.

What is the law in California for health and safety?

Cal/OSHA

You have a right to a safe and healthful workplace. The California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973 was enacted by the California Legislature to assure safe and healthful working conditions for all California working men and women. Cal/OSHA wants every worker to go home from work each day safe and healthy.

• Filing a complaint with Cal/OSHA
• What is an imminent hazard complaint?
• Complaint handling process
• Whistleblower complaints
• Worker responsibilities
• Employer responsibilities
• Frequently asked questions about bloodborne pathogens
• Health & Safety Rights: Facts for California Workers

November 2016

How often are safety meetings required in California?

Cal/OSHA

Cal/OSHA has a number of regulations which require training on workplace safety and health. The specific Cal/OSHA training requirements that apply to your workplace depend on the types of work activities your employees are actually performing. The Cal/OSHA regulations are in Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations (T8CCR).

1. The complete set of Title 8 regulations can be found at: www.dir.ca.gov/samples/search/query.htm,
2. Cal/OSHA has a list of Safety and Health Training and Instruction Requirements organized by training topics.
3. This list has requirements contained in the Construction Safety Orders (Subchapter 4) and the General Industry Safety Orders (Subchapter 7) of Title 8, Division 1, Chapter 4 (with several references contained in Chapter 3.2).

To get started in determining your training needs, look below at T8CCR 3203 if you are in General Industry or T8CCR 1509 if you are in Construction. For General Industry T8 CCR Section 3203 (a)(7)(A) – (F) states, in part, that “Training and Instruction must be provided”:

• “To all new employees”
• “To employees given new job assignments who have not previously been trained”
• “Whenever new substances, processes, procedures or equipment are introduced into the workplace and represent a new hazard”
• “Whenever the employer is made aware of a new or previously unrecognized hazard”
• “To familiarize supervisor with hazards to which employees under their immediate direction and control may be exposed”

For Construction, T8 CCR Section 1509 states, in part that:

• “Every employer shall establish, put into place, and maintain an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program” (in accordance with T8 CCR Section 3203 ).
• “Supervisory employees shall conduct Toolbox or Tailgate safety meetings, or equivalent, with their crews at least every 10 working days to emphasize safety”

After looking at T8CCR 3203 or T8CCR 1509, next you need to determine which additional Cal/OSHA training requirements apply to your workplace and employees. To find out the training requirements that apply review the Cal/OSHA list of Safety and Health Training and Instruction Requirements,

• Employees names (or other identifier)
• Training dates
• Subject matter covered
• Training providers

Does California require training for workers about hazardous chemicals?

Employees must be trained on the hazardous chemicals they may encounter at the time of initial assignment, whenever a new hazard is introduced into the workplace, and when employees may be exposed to other employers’ workplace chemical hazards.

Is training required to be paid in California?

California Employee Training: Should You Be Getting Paid for Your Time? – Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers, Inc. \ \ Should You Be Getting Paid for Your Time? If you’ve been an for long, the chances are that you may have run into a common onboarding scenario.

You get a new job, but you’re not scheduled to start for several days or weeks. In the meantime, your new requires you to attend mandatory training sessions. Whether these sessions are online from your home or you have to physically go somewhere, you might be required to do them before starting your job.

The catch is that the employer may try to claim that you won’t get paid for this training because you’ve not officially started in your new job yet. While this practice is prevalent, it is also illegal. In the state of California, if you’re a meeting or get specific training, you are supposed to be paid for that time.

A parking valet is an excellent example of this. When they’re at work, their employer is still required to pay them for those hours — even if they’re sitting around doing nothing because there are no cars to park.

A customer service representative working at home can fall under the same protections. If the CSR is an employee of the company, they may sit waiting for a phone call seven hours out of the day. And even though no customers called and no service was given, the employee is still legally eligible to be paid for those hours because they were under the direct control of their employer.

These same laws apply to mandatory training and meetings. If the training is mandatory for your job, your employer is legally obligated to pay you for the time spent. If the training is done outside of your work hours, you may be eligible for overtime pay, as well.

1. In contrast, some employers offer extra training or coursework as a bonus or perk, to the job.
2. When this is optional and completely voluntary, then the employee does not have to be paid for their time.
3. Sometimes, an employer will want an employee to cross-train in a new area or learn a new skill, such as how to use a specific piece of software.

They may ask the employee to learn these new skills during their normal work hours. They may also ask the employee to stay late to learn something new. Regardless of whether the training is related to the employee’s current position or not, the employer must pay for the time spent in training.

• If staying late causes the employee to go into overtime hours, those must be paid, as well, since the employer asked the employee to learn the new skills.
• If an employee takes training that produces a result for their employer, they must be paid for it.
• An employee may learn how to program a database, for instance, and while learning, they may create a new tool for use in their job.

The employer benefits from that tool, thus the employee should be compensated for the time spent learning how to create it. This type of violation happens frequently during job interviews. A prospective employer may ask the potential employee to create a marketing presentation as a way to show their skills.

1. If the employer later uses that material for the company, the company is required to pay the person who created it, whether they were ultimately hired on as an employee or not.
2. If you’ve faced employment responsibilities that required you to spend time in training or in meetings unpaid, a legal professional can help you to seek the money that you might be owed.

: California Employee Training: Should You Be Getting Paid for Your Time? – Ferraro Vega Employment Lawyers, Inc.

Jack Gloop