What Should You Do Once You Get Your OSHA Training Certificate? A Guide

3.5 of every 100,000 workers will have an accident resulting in death. It's no wonder why several jobs will come with the OSHA training certificate requirement.

Many people take OSHA safety training to meet a job or workplace requirement. Yet, OSHA training has many additional benefits to offer to OSHA cardholders.

Read on to find out more about OSHA and how you can maximize your OSHA training certificate below.

What Is OSHA Certification?

Assume you are looking for employment in the construction industry. In that case, you are likely to have come across job descriptions that have OSHA training certificates, either OSHA 10 or OSHA 30, as a requirement.

However, it may be startling to find out that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) don't actually provide an OSHA-10 or OSHA-30 certification or their respective training certificates.

This is simply a common misunderstanding of the types of training OSHA regards as certifications.

Therefore "OSHA training certificate" refers to OSHA Authorized Outreach Training or recognized OSHA safety training programs that various safety committees and organizations have created to help you and your company understand how to remain compliant with OSHA standards. and the 10 and 30 simply relate to the hours spent studying the course.

What Does "OSHA Certified" mean?

Often an employer wants proof that you are OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 certified. That means they need to validate that you completed an OSHA Outreach Training Program course. On completion, graduates earn a 10-hour or 30-hour OSHA completion card.

OSHA does not issue OSHA training certificates because the courses are voluntary. Also, credentials are not defined in any OSHA standards.

Despite OSHA's disapproval to use terms like "OSHA 30 certification" or "OSHA 10 certified", workers and employers still use them.

OSHA Certificate Programs

OSHA does offer OSHA training or certificate programs.

They do so in conjunction with colleges and universities across the country.

These OSHA programs offer in-depth professional growth for safety and health professionals. As well as construction workers, and many others. Some of these OSHA training programs are more detailed than OSHA Outreach courses. They run several certificate programs with a duration of 70 to 100 hours in length.

The following are some examples of OSHA certificate programs:

• Certified Occupational Safety Specialist (COSS)
• Certified Safety and Health Specialist - for General Industry
• Certified Safety and Health Specialist - for Construction
• Master Certification - Safety and Health
• Master Certification - Environmental
• Master Certification - Risk Management

There are plenty of other options too. If you'd like to know more, here is OSHA's list of certificate and degree programs for additional information.

What To Do Once You Get Your OSHA Training Certificate

You've finished your training. Now what? Check out these suggestions.

Update Your Resume

Congratulations on officially passing your OSHA training course. Ensure that you update your resume by showcasing the course title and the card/certificates you acquired.

As mentioned, OSHA does not consider their 10- or 30-Hour outreach training to be a certification. But, hiring managers and prospective employers may actively look for these courses in your resume.

It's not best practice to write "OSHA certified" in your resume's qualifications section. Instead, indicate the full titles of the training courses you completed. Also include any accompanying credentials, certificates, or cards you have earned.

For example, let's say you are a construction worker with an OSHA 10 card. You could state that you finished the 10-Hour OSHA Outreach Training Course for Construction. In addition, state that you have an OSHA 10-Hour card in Construction from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Look For a Promotion or New Job

Your OSHA training certificate lets employers know your solid understanding of safety training. Before applying for new positions, make sure you update your LinkedIn to include your further OSHA training.

This step will ensure prospective employers know that you've already taken steps to get trained, and they will like that! Irrespective of whether or not you are on the lookout for a new job at the time, taking this step won't hurt.

How To Prove You Completed OSHA 10 or 30?

If you are a graduate of OSHA-authorized Outreach courses, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will issue you an official completion card. Not only is the DOL card an impressive addition to your resume, but it is also increasingly becoming a job requirement nationwide.

Other than the Outreach completion card, Employers may use the following names:

• 10-Hour card
• 30-Hour card
• OSHA-10 or OSHA-30 certification
• OSHA-10 card/OSHA-30 card
• OSHA-10 completion card/OSHA-30 completion card
• OSHA DOL card
• Department of Labor/DOL card

Often employers request OSHA certification or any of the card names listed above. The chances are that they also require proof of an OSHA Outreach course completion.

Be specific on whether you have the OSHA-10, OSHA-30, or other constituent OSHA training cards or certificates. If you have the exact OSHA training certificate the employer prefers job candidates to complete, you can apply for the job.

Join a Safety Committee/Group

Many state and federal laws need companies to set up a safety group or committee. Safety groups in the workplace are often responsible for reviewing the company's safety practices, safety complaints, and training materials.

Now that you have the OSHA training certificate, you could be a valuable addition to the safety groups.

Network with Likeminded Professionals

Once you receive your OSHA training certificate, you should network and stay up-to-date on all safety news in your industry; this is where social media comes into play.

Social media offers a superb opportunity to connect with safety professionals in your field, develop new ideas and spark conversations for training techniques. Here is a link to OSHA LinkedIn groups to get you started.

Continue Your Workplace Safety Education

Whether you now have your first 10-hour OSHA training certificate or have many years of experience as a safety professional, there's always room to learn more!

Take time to identify a reputable training institution that offers the best OSHA training and regularly update its material when new safety guidelines are rolled out.

If you're time-constrained, do not worry, as there are training institutes that offer OSHA training online.

Practice Safety

Considering that you completed safety training and have an OSHA training certificate, you need to be actively vigilant to safety hazards. This practice is the first incidents or accidents preventative measure.

Hopefully, learning about safety hazards, what to look out for and how to handle them will help protect you and your workmates at your place of employment and beyond.

If you have any questions about updating or extending your OSHA knowledge, check out our FAQ or contact us.