January 21, 2008—The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced eight new OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers and two renewals. OTI centers offer training courses on OSHA standards and occupational safety and health issues. The additional OTI Education Centers, made up of nonprofit organizations, will further increase OSHA’s reach throughout the country to provide safety and health training.
The OTI Education Centers program was created in 1992 to complement the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) in Arlington Heights, IL, which is OSHA’s premier training provider. The OTI Education Centers provide training nationwide to private sector and federal personnel from agencies outside OSHA. The OTI Education Centers trained more than 27,000 people during FY 2007, representing an all-time record for the program, notes OSHA.
The OTI Education Centers will also assist the agency in administering the OSHA Outreach Training Program–the agency’s primary method to train employees in the basics of occupational safety and health. Outreach Trainer courses are offered by topic areas including construction, general industry, and disaster site. Through these 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 program, more than one-half million people received training during FY 2007, says OSHA.
For a list of current OTI Education Centers, visit the OSHA Web site. The new centers are accessible from the OSHA home page under “OSHA News.”
