Keeping up with OSHA training requirements can be difficult for small and medium-sized manufacturers. There isn't one training schedule that applies to every facility, and OSHA does not require every employee to complete every training course every year.
What you need depends on the hazards in your workplace, the equipment your employees use, the work they perform, and the OSHA standards that apply to your facility.
This cheat sheet gives you a practical starting point for building and maintaining an OSHA-compliant employee training program.
At its core, OSHA requires employers to make sure employees understand the hazards they may encounter at work and know how to protect themselves.
Training needs to happen before an employee is exposed to a hazard. It also needs to be provided in a way the employee can understand and should cover the specific tasks, equipment, and hazards associated with the employee's work.
Training doesn't stop after the initial session. Employees may need additional training when their responsibilities change, new equipment or processes are introduced, new hazards appear, or there is reason to believe an employee did not understand or retain the original training.
The important thing to remember is that OSHA training is hazard-based, not simply a yearly checklist.
The specific training your facility needs will depend on your operations. However, several OSHA standards commonly apply to manufacturing facilities.
These are not the only OSHA training requirements that may apply to a manufacturer. Your facility may have additional requirements based on its equipment, processes, chemicals, and employee responsibilities.
This is one of the most common questions about OSHA compliance, and the answer is not across the board.
OSHA does not have a universal rule requiring every employee to complete safety training every year. Some standards include specific annual training requirements, while others require retraining when something changes or when an employee demonstrates that they do not understand the required procedures.
For example, lockout/tagout requires an annual inspection of energy control procedures, but that does not mean every employee covered by the standard automatically needs to retake the entire LOTO course every year.
Other OSHA standards have their own specific training schedules. Hazard Communication, PPE, and many other topics are generally tied to the hazards and conditions of the workplace rather than an automatic annual training date.
The safest approach is to start with the OSHA standards that apply to your facility and determine what each one requires. Don't assume that "annual training" is the answer for every topic.
Retraining is generally triggered by a change or a problem rather than by the calendar alone.
An employee may need additional training when they move into a new role, begin using different equipment, or are exposed to a new hazard. Retraining may also be necessary after a change to a procedure or process.
It can also be triggered by what happens on the shop floor. If an inspection, audit, near miss, or incident shows that employees are not following a safety procedure correctly, that may be a sign that additional training is needed.
OSHA's training guidance emphasizes that employees need to understand the hazards associated with their work. If the original training isn't accomplishing that, simply having a training record on file isn't enough.
A good training program starts with your facility rather than a generic list of courses.
Begin by looking at the work your employees actually perform. Consider your equipment, chemicals, processes, and workplace hazards. From there, identify which OSHA standards apply and which employees are affected by each requirement.
Once you've determined the applicable requirements, assign the appropriate training to the employees who need it. This is important because not every employee needs every course.
For example, an employee who never performs equipment maintenance may not need the same lockout/tagout training as an employee who is responsible for servicing machinery. Assigning training based on actual job responsibilities keeps the program more relevant and makes it easier to manage.
Your training program should also be reviewed whenever something changes. A new machine, new chemical, new process, or change in employee responsibilities can create new training requirements.
Providing the training is only part of the job. You also need to be able to show that the training happened.
OSHA training records commonly include information such as the employee's name or ID, the date of training, the topics covered, and the instructor's name and credentials. Depending on the type of training, you may also need to document the training method or maintain additional supporting records.
The specific retention period varies by requirement. Some training records may need to be kept for several years, while certain exposure-related records have much longer retention requirements.
The practical goal is simple: if an inspector asks for proof that an employee received required training, you should be able to find the record without digging through filing cabinets or searching through dozens of spreadsheet tabs.
If you're reviewing your training program, start with these questions:
What hazards are present in our facility?
Look at the equipment, chemicals, processes, and tasks your employees encounter.
Which employees are exposed to those hazards?
Training should be assigned based on actual responsibilities and exposure, not simply job title or seniority.
What does the applicable OSHA standard require?
Determine whether the requirement involves initial training, recurring training, annual training, or retraining after a specific event or change.
Are our training records complete?
Make sure you can quickly identify who completed the training, what they completed, when they completed it, and any additional information required by the applicable standard.
What has changed since our last review?
New equipment, processes, chemicals, employees, or procedures can all affect your training requirements.
One of the easiest mistakes to make is treating OSHA training as an annual event. A company may schedule a large training session once a year, check the box, and assume the requirement has been handled.
But OSHA compliance is more ongoing than that.
A new machine can create a new training requirement in the middle of the year. A change in an employee's responsibilities can trigger retraining. An incident or inspection can reveal that employees need additional instruction.
Another common problem is assigning the same training to everyone. While it may seem easier administratively, it can create unnecessary training and make it harder to focus on the requirements that actually apply to each employee.
The better approach is to build your training program around the hazards and responsibilities at your facility and keep it updated as those conditions change.
Use this page as a starting point when reviewing your employee training program.
First, identify the hazards present in your facility. Then determine which employees are exposed to each one and review the OSHA standards that apply.
From there, determine when each employee needs training and whether the applicable standard requires initial, recurring, or annual training. Keep track of situations that may require retraining, such as changes in equipment, processes, job responsibilities, or workplace hazards.
Finally, make sure your training records are complete, organized, and accessible when you need them.
Want to go deeper into a specific OSHA training requirement? Explore our individual training resources for more information:
Hazard Communication Training Cheat Sheet
Understand the training requirements for employees who work with or around hazardous chemicals.
Lockout/Tagout Training Cheat Sheet
Learn what OSHA requires for employees who perform or are affected by equipment servicing and maintenance.
PPE Training Cheat Sheet
Review the training requirements for employees who use personal protective equipment.
Machine Guarding Training Cheat Sheet
Learn how machine guarding requirements affect employee training and safe equipment operation.
Emergency Preparedness Cheat Sheet
Review the training considerations for workplace emergencies and emergency response procedures.
Hearing Conservation Training Cheat Sheet
Learn when OSHA's hearing conservation requirements may apply to your employees.
These resources can help you dig deeper into the specific requirements that apply to your facility.
Knowing which training your employees need is only the first step. You also need an easy way to track completed training, monitor upcoming requirements, and keep your records organized.
MakerComply's Free Training Tracker helps small and medium-sized manufacturers manage employee training records in one place, with automated reminders for upcoming and expiring training.
Keeping up with OSHA training requirements can be difficult for small and medium-sized manufacturers. There isn't one training schedule that applies to every facility, and OSHA does not require every employee to complete every training course every year.
What you need depends on the hazards in your workplace, the equipment your employees use, the work they perform, and the OSHA standards that apply to your facility.
This cheat sheet gives you a practical starting point for building and maintaining an OSHA-compliant employee training program.
At its core, OSHA requires employers to make sure employees understand the hazards they may encounter at work and know how to protect themselves.
Training needs to happen before an employee is exposed to a hazard. It also needs to be provided in a way the employee can understand and should cover the specific tasks, equipment, and hazards associated with the employee's work.
Training doesn't stop after the initial session. Employees may need additional training when their responsibilities change, new equipment or processes are introduced, new hazards appear, or there is reason to believe an employee did not understand or retain the original training.
The important thing to remember is that OSHA training is hazard-based, not simply a yearly checklist.
The specific training your facility needs will depend on your operations. However, several OSHA standards commonly apply to manufacturing facilities.
These are not the only OSHA training requirements that may apply to a manufacturer. Your facility may have additional requirements based on its equipment, processes, chemicals, and employee responsibilities.
This is one of the most common questions about OSHA compliance, and the answer is not across the board.
OSHA does not have a universal rule requiring every employee to complete safety training every year. Some standards include specific annual training requirements, while others require retraining when something changes or when an employee demonstrates that they do not understand the required procedures.
For example, lockout/tagout requires an annual inspection of energy control procedures, but that does not mean every employee covered by the standard automatically needs to retake the entire LOTO course every year.
Other OSHA standards have their own specific training schedules. Hazard Communication, PPE, and many other topics are generally tied to the hazards and conditions of the workplace rather than an automatic annual training date.
The safest approach is to start with the OSHA standards that apply to your facility and determine what each one requires. Don't assume that "annual training" is the answer for every topic.
Retraining is generally triggered by a change or a problem rather than by the calendar alone.
An employee may need additional training when they move into a new role, begin using different equipment, or are exposed to a new hazard. Retraining may also be necessary after a change to a procedure or process.
It can also be triggered by what happens on the shop floor. If an inspection, audit, near miss, or incident shows that employees are not following a safety procedure correctly, that may be a sign that additional training is needed.
OSHA's training guidance emphasizes that employees need to understand the hazards associated with their work. If the original training isn't accomplishing that, simply having a training record on file isn't enough.
A good training program starts with your facility rather than a generic list of courses.
Begin by looking at the work your employees actually perform. Consider your equipment, chemicals, processes, and workplace hazards. From there, identify which OSHA standards apply and which employees are affected by each requirement.
Once you've determined the applicable requirements, assign the appropriate training to the employees who need it. This is important because not every employee needs every course.
For example, an employee who never performs equipment maintenance may not need the same lockout/tagout training as an employee who is responsible for servicing machinery. Assigning training based on actual job responsibilities keeps the program more relevant and makes it easier to manage.
Your training program should also be reviewed whenever something changes. A new machine, new chemical, new process, or change in employee responsibilities can create new training requirements.
Providing the training is only part of the job. You also need to be able to show that the training happened.
OSHA training records commonly include information such as the employee's name or ID, the date of training, the topics covered, and the instructor's name and credentials. Depending on the type of training, you may also need to document the training method or maintain additional supporting records.
The specific retention period varies by requirement. Some training records may need to be kept for several years, while certain exposure-related records have much longer retention requirements.
The practical goal is simple: if an inspector asks for proof that an employee received required training, you should be able to find the record without digging through filing cabinets or searching through dozens of spreadsheet tabs.
If you're reviewing your training program, start with these questions:
What hazards are present in our facility?
Look at the equipment, chemicals, processes, and tasks your employees encounter.
Which employees are exposed to those hazards?
Training should be assigned based on actual responsibilities and exposure, not simply job title or seniority.
What does the applicable OSHA standard require?
Determine whether the requirement involves initial training, recurring training, annual training, or retraining after a specific event or change.
Are our training records complete?
Make sure you can quickly identify who completed the training, what they completed, when they completed it, and any additional information required by the applicable standard.
What has changed since our last review?
New equipment, processes, chemicals, employees, or procedures can all affect your training requirements.
One of the easiest mistakes to make is treating OSHA training as an annual event. A company may schedule a large training session once a year, check the box, and assume the requirement has been handled.
But OSHA compliance is more ongoing than that.
A new machine can create a new training requirement in the middle of the year. A change in an employee's responsibilities can trigger retraining. An incident or inspection can reveal that employees need additional instruction.
Another common problem is assigning the same training to everyone. While it may seem easier administratively, it can create unnecessary training and make it harder to focus on the requirements that actually apply to each employee.
The better approach is to build your training program around the hazards and responsibilities at your facility and keep it updated as those conditions change.
Use this page as a starting point when reviewing your employee training program.
First, identify the hazards present in your facility. Then determine which employees are exposed to each one and review the OSHA standards that apply.
From there, determine when each employee needs training and whether the applicable standard requires initial, recurring, or annual training. Keep track of situations that may require retraining, such as changes in equipment, processes, job responsibilities, or workplace hazards.
Finally, make sure your training records are complete, organized, and accessible when you need them.
Want to go deeper into a specific OSHA training requirement? Explore our individual training resources for more information:
Hazard Communication Training Cheat Sheet
Understand the training requirements for employees who work with or around hazardous chemicals.
Lockout/Tagout Training Cheat Sheet
Learn what OSHA requires for employees who perform or are affected by equipment servicing and maintenance.
PPE Training Cheat Sheet
Review the training requirements for employees who use personal protective equipment.
Machine Guarding Training Cheat Sheet
Learn how machine guarding requirements affect employee training and safe equipment operation.
Emergency Preparedness Cheat Sheet
Review the training considerations for workplace emergencies and emergency response procedures.
Hearing Conservation Training Cheat Sheet
Learn when OSHA's hearing conservation requirements may apply to your employees.
These resources can help you dig deeper into the specific requirements that apply to your facility.
Knowing which training your employees need is only the first step. You also need an easy way to track completed training, monitor upcoming requirements, and keep your records organized.
MakerComply's Free Training Tracker helps small and medium-sized manufacturers manage employee training records in one place, with automated reminders for upcoming and expiring training.
