Training Requirements

As a result of Workers' Compensation reform, state law now requires that all OSU employees, including student employees, receive safety training at least four times a year. Anybody receiving a paycheck through OSU falls under this requirement. (The only exception to this rule might be contractors who are paid for services through Payroll for short-term projects such as desktop publishing.)

The object of the law is to reduce the number of accidents occurring, thereby reducing the amount and cost of Workers' Compensation claims being processed by the state (and paid for by taxpayers). The law is designed to help employees by providing them with the information necessary to do their jobs safely, as well as by reducing the amount of money being spent by the state on Workers' Compensation claims.

The Department of Labor (DOL) states that quarterly safety training must be "Appropriate to the nature and severity of the hazards faced by the employee."  In other words, somebody in a high-hazard work environment such as a laboratory would need more training than somebody who works in an office. Fortunately, the DOL does not set specific time requirements for the amount of training to be given, leaving a great deal of leeway as to how these quarterly requirements may be met.

In practical terms this means that an employee who is not at high risk for injury could count an information flyer or wellness newsletter as quarterly training. This might apply to office workers, for example. However, somebody who works in a laboratory would need additional training, because laboratories involve greater hazards. This additional training could consist of simply handing out an information sheet about the proper storage of compressed gas cylinders.

With the exception of a wellness newsletter, all safety training must be documented with date, subject, and the persons receiving the training (a mailing list would suffice for the newsletter). This information should be forwarded to OSU's Safety Training Coordinator, Greg Hogan, at 120 Physical Plant.