Should you Take OSHA Certification Classes Online or In-Person?

Many construction companies require their employees to get either an OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 safety certification, but there are a few different ways to take the courses.  Throughout my career, I’ve had safety training in a few different capacity: in-person classroom as part of my construction management degree curriculum, a work organized 10-hour course, and, most recently, an OSHA 30 online course.

With any of those options, there are plenty of pros and cons, so which one is right for you or your company? Regardless of the amount of positives and negatives for each, one option may be more effective than another for your company.

In-person OSHA Training

First things first, how do you find an in-person trainer?  A common misconception is that OSHA employees actually provide the training, but they only provide the criteria to receive certification to train.  Only OSHA certified safety trainers can give out OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 certifications.

To help you get started, OSHA has a directory of OSHA certified trainers on their website.  You can also reach out to your local OSHA regional office or nearby construction industry groups to see if they know of any upcoming opportunities in your area.

More interactive and hands-on

Having in-person training lends itself to getting hands on with safety equipment or performing interactive learning.  There has been a lot of research that shows getting hands-on in training is much more effective than simply listening and taking quizzes.  This, of course, is all dependent on the trainer you select.  Each has their own style.  Personally, I’ve had one trainer that used gory pictures to illustrate their point, but another who avoided negative training at all costs.

Generally more expensive

This again will depend on the trainer and how many people you have in your class, but overall, in-person training is generally more expensive than online training, though group rates may be available depending on the trainer.

Dependent on schedule

Everyone in the construction industry is busy, so finding 4 straight days to be off the jobsite for OSHA 30 training can be extremely difficult.  That may be a barrier to entry that keeps a lot of employers from properly training their employees.

Dependent on trainer

As I mentioned above, each trainer will have their own style.  That’s not always a problem, but the employer won’t necessary know what or how each of their employees are trained on over time.  Consistency makes it easier to hold their employees to the same standard.

Online OSHA Training

When I did my training a couple years ago, it was hard to find legit online courses, but OSHA recently released a directory of authorized online training courses to make it much easier. Currently, there are 10 websites listed for OSHA 10-hour construction courses and 6 listed for OSHA 30 construction courses.

Less expensive

Online courses have set costs and being that you’re not taking a trainer’s time to perform the training, it’s inherently cheaper. For example, I took my OSHA 30 course through ClickSafety, which currently costs $189 for the OSHA 30 construction course.

Consistent

Contrary to the in-person training, you know exactly what your employees will be trained on with the online courses.  They only change when OSHA regulations are added, deleted, or updated.

Hard or unable to answer questions

Without having a human being teaching the course, it can be difficult to get answers on questions.  If you’re spending time to do training, you want to make sure you completely understand the material

Flexible schedule

Unlike the in-person training that has a set schedule, online training can be completed at your own pace.  There is still a maximum amount of time you have to finish the program, but it provides flexibility for those that cannot be away from the jobsite for 4 straight days.

As a project manager, I was able to complete 2 hours of training a day, which allowed me to focus on the material ahead of me, while also keeping up with my work.

Alternate Ways to Train on Safety

In-person and online OSHA 10 and 30 classes are not the only way that you can train your employees, so let’s discuss some alternative ways to keep safety on the forefront of everyone’s mind.

Toolbox Talks

Toolbox talks are used on a lot of jobsites and are meant to cover 1 topic at a time in a short 5-10 minute meeting.  There are a lot of great resources available online for pre-written toolbox talks, as well, including CPWR, which has over 55 Free toolbox talks available for download in both English and Spanish.  Many will include background information, as well has some interactive sessions, like role playing and open ended questions to ask your team.

Virtual Reality

VR is relatively new to construction safety training and not widely used just yet, but it may become one of the most effective forms of training in the near future.  At the World of Concrete 2019, I was able to try out some VR safety courses at the 3M booth.  One module required you to inspect a virtual safety harness, put it on, then properly connect it on a high-rise jobsite.  At the end of the course, you have to walk off the virtual leading edge, which, I’m not going to lie, made my hands extremely sweaty and my knees very week.  It’s not an experience that I’ll forget for a long time…and isn’t that the point?

Procore Safety Classes

Construction Technology company, Procore, recently released free online construction safety courses on its website. Procore Safety Qualified, as the platform is known, currently has 3 courses available to take, including:

1. Silica Exposure in Construction: how to manage silica exposure and create a control plan

2. Confined Spaces: managing, classifying, entering and permitting confined spaces

3. Safety & Technology: how to leverage technology to improve safety on the jobsite

Would you rather have in-person or online OSHA training? Tell us in the comments below!