OSHA's General Industry standards (29 CFR 1910) and Construction standards (29 CFR 1926) contain over 50 individual training requirements covering everything from chemical hazards to emergency response. This guide breaks down the most critical requirements by topic, including training frequencies, CFR references, and tips for tracking compliance with Training Management Software.
Hazard Communication (HazCom) — 29 CFR 1910.1200
Training Requirements
Frequency: Upon initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard is introduced
Applicability: All employees who may be exposed to hazardous chemicals in the workplace
Employees must be trained on the requirements of the Hazard Communication Standard, the location and availability of the written HazCom program and SDSs, how to detect the presence of hazardous chemicals, physical and health hazards of chemicals in the work area, protective measures and emergency procedures, and how to read Safety Data Sheets and labels including GHS pictograms.
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) — 29 CFR 1910.147
Training Requirements
Frequency: Upon initial assignment; retraining when job assignments change, new hazards are introduced, or energy control procedures are modified. OSHA also requires periodic inspections of procedures at least annually, which may trigger retraining.
Applicability: Three categories of employees require different levels of training:
- Authorized employees — workers who perform lockout/tagout must understand the purpose, function, and restrictions of energy control procedures
- Affected employees — workers whose jobs require operating equipment that is locked/tagged must recognize when procedures are in use
- Other employees — all other workers in the area must understand the prohibition against restarting or re-energizing locked/tagged equipment
Confined Space Entry — 29 CFR 1910.146
Training Requirements
Frequency: Before initial assignment; before a change in duties; whenever hazards change; whenever deviations from procedures occur or knowledge is inadequate
Applicability: Authorized entrants, attendants, entry supervisors, and rescue team members
Training must cover the duties of each role, hazard recognition, atmospheric monitoring procedures, proper use of entry equipment, and emergency and rescue procedures. Employers must certify that training has been accomplished with documentation showing each employee's name, trainer signature, and date of training.
Fall Protection — 29 CFR 1910.30 / 1926.503
Training Requirements
Frequency: Before initial exposure to fall hazards; retraining when deficiencies are observed, workplace changes create new hazards, or knowledge appears inadequate
Applicability: All employees who may be exposed to fall hazards
Employees must be trained to recognize fall hazards, understand procedures for minimizing those hazards, and properly use personal fall protection systems including harnesses, lanyards, and anchorage points. Training must include proper inspection of fall protection equipment, fall distance calculations, and rescue procedures.
Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts) — 29 CFR 1910.178
Training Requirements
Frequency: Before initial operation; performance evaluation every three years; retraining when unsafe operation is observed, after an accident or near miss, or when workplace conditions change
Applicability: All operators of powered industrial trucks including forklifts, pallet jacks, and order pickers
Training must include both truck-related topics (operating instructions, controls, capacity, stability, inspection) and workplace-related topics (surface conditions, pedestrian traffic, ramps, hazardous areas). Training must include a practical evaluation demonstrating safe operation. Employers must certify training with the operator's name, training dates, evaluator identity, and evaluation dates.
Respiratory Protection — 29 CFR 1910.134
Training Requirements
Frequency: Before initial use and annually thereafter; retraining when knowledge appears inadequate or respirator type changes
Applicability: All employees required to use respirators
Training must cover why the respirator is necessary, its capabilities and limitations, proper donning and doffing procedures, fit checking, maintenance and storage, and medical signs and symptoms that may limit respirator use. Employees using tight-fitting respirators must be fit tested initially and annually.
Bloodborne Pathogens — 29 CFR 1910.1030
Training Requirements
Frequency: At initial assignment and annually thereafter; additional training when tasks or procedures change
Applicability: All employees with occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials
Training must cover the epidemiology and symptoms of bloodborne diseases, modes of transmission, the employer's exposure control plan, recognition of exposure situations, use of personal protective equipment, hepatitis B vaccination information, emergency procedures for exposure incidents, and post-exposure evaluation procedures.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) — 29 CFR 1910.132
Training Requirements
Frequency: Before initial use; retraining when workplace changes render previous training obsolete, when PPE type changes, or when employee knowledge is inadequate
Applicability: All employees required to use PPE
Employees must be trained on when PPE is necessary, what PPE is required, proper donning and doffing, adjustment and fit, useful life and disposal, and the limitations of PPE. Employers must certify that each employee has received and understood the training.
Fire Protection & Emergency Action Plans — 29 CFR 1910.38 / 1910.157
Training Requirements
Frequency: Upon initial plan development, upon hire, when plan changes, and when employee responsibilities change. Fire extinguisher training upon initial assignment and annually thereafter.
Applicability: Emergency action plan training for all employees; fire extinguisher training for designated employees
Emergency action plan training must cover alarm systems, evacuation routes, accounting procedures, and specific employee duties. Employees designated to use fire extinguishers must receive hands-on training in extinguisher operation and the hazards of incipient-stage firefighting.
Electrical Safety — 29 CFR 1910.332
Training Requirements
Frequency: Upon initial assignment; refresher training at intervals determined by the employer based on workplace conditions (OSHA does not specify an exact interval)
Applicability: Employees who face a risk of electric shock not reduced to a safe level by installation requirements
Training must cover safety-related work practices applicable to the employee's job, including specific procedures for working near exposed energized parts. Qualified persons must be additionally trained on skills and techniques to distinguish exposed energized parts and determine nominal voltages.
Additional General Industry Training Requirements
Frequently Required Topics
- Hearing Conservation (1910.95) — annually for employees in hearing conservation program (exposure at or above 85 dBA TWA)
- Hazardous Waste Operations (HAZWOPER) (1910.120) — 40 hours initial for site workers, 24 hours for occasional site workers, 8 hours annual refresher
- Process Safety Management (1910.119) — initial training on overview, operating procedures; refresher at least every three years
- Machine Guarding (1910.212-219) — upon initial assignment for operators of specific machines
- Welding, Cutting, and Brazing (1910.252) — fire watch personnel training before initial assignment
- Walking-Working Surfaces (1910.30) — upon initial exposure and when changes occur
- Scaffolding (1926.454) — by qualified person before use; retraining when deficiencies observed
- Excavations (1926.651) — employees exposed to public vehicular traffic must be trained on traffic signs and signals
- Crane and Hoist Operation (1926.1430) — before use and based on operator qualification requirements
- Stormwater Training (40 CFR 122) — EPA requirement for personnel identified in SWPPP
- Hazardous Waste Training (40 CFR 262.17) — EPA requirement for personnel at SQG and LQG facilities
- SPCC Training (40 CFR 112.7(f)) — EPA requirement for oil handling personnel at SPCC facilities
- DOT Hazardous Materials (49 CFR 172.700-704) — initial and every three years for hazmat shippers
Training Documentation Best Practices
What to Document
While not every OSHA standard requires written training records, maintaining thorough documentation is the only practical way to demonstrate compliance during an OSHA inspection. For each training event, record the following:
- Employee name, job title, and department
- Date and duration of training
- Training topic and specific OSHA standard addressed
- Instructor name and qualifications
- Training method (classroom, online, hands-on, OJT)
- Comprehension verification results (quiz scores, practical evaluations)
- Employee signature or electronic acknowledgment
- Next retraining due date
Training management software automates this documentation, calculates due dates, sends reminders, and produces audit-ready reports with a few clicks.
Tracking 50+ training requirements across hundreds of employees is exactly what Ecesis Training Management Software was built for. Build a training matrix that maps every OSHA requirement to the right employees, automate reminders before training expires, and generate compliance reports in seconds. Please call (720) 547-5102 or contact us to learn more.
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