December 2012, Vol. 67 No. 12
Newsline
OSHA centers extend safety, health training opportunities
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced four new OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers and the renewal of 24 existing OTI Education Centers. Current OTI Education Centers offer training courses on OSHA standards and occupational safety and health issues.
The new OTI Education Centers, which are non-profit organizations, will provide additional outlets for safety and health training to workers and employers throughout the country.
“This year, we have seen record numbers of requests for occupational safety and health training from the private sector and federal agency personnel,” said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. “The renewal of OTI’s Education Centers and the addition of four new centers will help OSHA to meet this demand and deliver life-saving training to our country’s employers and workers.”
The OTI Education Centers program was created in 1992 to complement the OSHA Training Institute in Arlington Heights, IL, which provides training and education to OSHA compliance officers. The OTI Education Centers provide training nationwide to private sector and federal personnel from agencies outside OSHA. The OTI Education Centers trained more than 40,000 people during the 2012 fiscal year, representing an all-time record for the program.
The OTI Education Centers also assist the agency in administering the OSHA Outreach Training Program and fulfilling the program’s monitoring requirements. OTI Education Centers are the principal distribution channel for Outreach Training Program trainer courses, including prerequisite and update courses. Trainer courses are offered by topic areas including construction, general industry, disaster site and maritime. Through these train-the-trainer programs, qualified individuals who complete a one-week OSHA trainer course are authorized to teach 10-hour or 30-hour courses focusing on safety and health hazards. Through the Outreach Training Program, more than two million people received training from fiscal 2010 through fiscal 2012. This is a voluntary program and does not meet training requirements for any OSHA standards.
For a list of new and renewed OTI Education Centers, visit www.osha.gov/dte
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