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Are Your Training Videos OSHA Compliant?

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Are your training videos OSHA compliant? Well that is a good question. This is often asked by our customers when considering purchasing our training programs. It is a pretty straight-forward question with a less than straight-forward answer. Hopefully this info will help clear the water for everyone.

When someone asks if our training programs are OSHA compliant, they may be asking if OSHA has approved our training or if our programs follow OSHA standards. Our programs are not OSHA approved. OSHA does not “approve” anything. In the same sense that OSHA does not certify training, they do not “approve” anyone’s training programs. OSHA simply formulates rules and regulations and says “Here you go. Following these safety rules or else.” OSHA doesn’t really say “or else” but if employers don’t follow the safety rules, employees get injured and sometimes even die due to preventable incidents. That’s when the “or else” happens. OSHA steps in, investigates, and hands down some pretty hefty fines when the employer is found negligent.

As for our programs following OSHA standards, the answer is yes and no. Most of our training programs are based on regulations put forth by OSHA. But not all of them. We can’t make the blanket statement that “All our training programs are OSHA compliant (or OSHA based.)” There is not an OSHA regulation which specifically covers Ergonomics, Back Safety, Sexual Harassment (actually based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Workplace Violence, Incident Investigation, and Driving Safety. OSHA does have a General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1), which states “Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.” OSHA will cite this when they believe an employer has not provided a safe place of employment but does not have a specific regulation on which to fall for a citation.

3 thoughts on “Are Your Training Videos OSHA Compliant?

  1. Regardless of cost I have yet to find a video that does not a have citable error somewhere in the production, nor have I found one that is totally all encompassing.

    1. Hello Frank,
      We appreciate your comment. While we strive to create training programs which are accurate, relevant, and error free we are not perfect. We review, correct, review, correct and on and on and still have “mistakes” which are not caught. It doesn’t happen all the time but it does happen. When we are made aware of issues we work diligently to correct the them. I find life is like that myself. I work at being friendly, honest, and caring but still on occasions do or say something I shouldn’t have. I will apologize and try to make it right the best I can and learn from it. You just have to keep trying to improve everyday and correct things when you mess up. As for our videos being all encompassing, we find that most people will be attentive for up to 20 minutes or so watching a training video. To be “all encompassing” and cover every detail of any given standard or regulation would require a much longer video. I don’t think anyone would pay much attention to a two hour or longer training video. We try to touch on most main points of a standard in our videos. Employers/trainers should then carry that training farther by providing “real life” training with the actual machinery, tools, equipment, etc to complete the employee’s training. Training videos are not meant to be all encompassing but to be used in conjunction with other training materials and options. I am sure you are already aware of this though. I just want to point it out for others who might read this post and comments. We often get inquiries asking “if we show this training video will our employees be certified?” I like to ask them if they would feel comfortable with jumping out of a plane at 13,000 feet after watching a 20 minute video on skydiving? Do they think it will end well? I think that drives home the idea that just watching a video does not provide all the required training an employee needs to be safe. Thanks again for your comment. It allows us to respond and hopefully provide more info for others to use.

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