OTI Education Center Logo
<< Back to OTI Education Centers

Frequently Asked Questions

How can my organization become an OTI Education Center?

OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers are selected through a national competitive process, which is announced through a Federal Register Notice of Competition.  OSHA is now accepting applications from organizations interested in becoming an OTI Education Center.  The application deadline is Friday, June 15, 2012.  See the press release.  Further information including application submission requirements are available in the Federal Register Notice. 

How do I become an authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer?

OSHA authorizes trainers to conduct occupational safety and health training through the OSHA Outreach Training Program. Through this program, individuals who complete a one-week OSHA trainer course receive a certificate of completion and an authorized outreach trainer card. Trainer courses are based on one of the following subject areas: disaster site workers (second responders), construction, general industry, or maritime. Upon successful completion of the trainer course, trainers are authorized to teach students courses based on the trainer course subject area. These include 16-hour courses for disaster site workers (second responders), as well as 10-hour and 30-hour courses in construction, general industry, or maritime safety and health hazards. Authorized trainers can receive OSHA course completion cards for their students. The OSHA Outreach Training Program is voluntary. OSHA does not require participation in this program. 

To become an authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer, you must complete a required OSHA trainer course and complete/meet the necessary prerequisite requirements:

  1. For Construction Industry: OSHA #500 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for Construction. Prerequisites are: five (5) years of construction safety experience (a college degree in occupational safety and health, a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) designation, in the applicable training area may be substituted for two years of experience) and completion of OSHA #510 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry. 
  2. For General Industry: OSHA #501 Trainer Course in OSHA Standards for General Industry. Prerequisites are: five years of general industry safety experience (a college degree in occupational safety and health, a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) designation, in the applicable training area may be substituted for two years of experience) and completion of OSHA #511, Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry. 
  3. For Maritime Industry: Course #5400 - Trainer Course in OSHA Standards for the Maritime Industry. 
    The prerequisites for Course #5400 are as follows: Three (3) years maritime industry experience and at least one (1) of the following: Two (2) years of occupational safety and health experience (with a broad focus) in any industry; A degree in occupational safety and health from an accredited college or university; Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation; Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH); designation; Certified Marine Chemist (CMC) designation; Certified Safety Health Manager (CSHM) designation. 
  4. For Disaster Site Workers: Course #5600 - Disaster Site Worker Train-the-Trainer Course. The prerequisites for Course #5600 are as follows: OSHA Course #500 or #501, three years safety training experience and completion of the 40-hour HAZWOPER training. 

The OSHA courses listed above are only offered by authorized OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers located throughout the United States. 
For a complete list of all the OTI Education Centers and their approved courses, please visit the OTI Education Center Locations page. 

Is there an Education Center near me?

The OSHA Training Institute Education Centers are national network of training sites. There is at least one Education Center located in each OSHA Region. 

Find an Education Center near you. 

What types of courses are offered by OTI Education Centers?

OTI courses currently available through the OTI Education Centers include the most popular ones such as the #500 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry and #501 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry. These "train-the-trainer" courses support the OSHA Outreach Training Program, which is the agency's primary way to train workers in the basics of occupational safety and health. Also available through the OTI Education Centers are trainer update courses (#502, #503), Course #510 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry, #511 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry and the newly developed Course #5410 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Maritime Industry. 

Other OTI Education Center course offerings address such topics as Hazardous Materials, Machine Guarding, Ergonomics, Confined Space, Excavation, Electrical Standards, and Fall Arrest Systems. There are currently a number of one-day seminars in development in subject areas such as nursing home guidelines, homeland security, and machine guarding. These are being added to meet the needs of students who are unable to attend the full-week courses, but would like to benefit from the OSHA training curriculum. 

Complete listing of courses

What is considered OSHA Geographic Jurisdiction?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal agency within the United States. The Agency covers workers and employers in the 50 United States and certain territories and jurisdictions under federal authority. Those jurisdictions include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Wake Island, Johnston Island, the Panama Canal Zone, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands as defined in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. 

OSHA training programs such as the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center program and the Outreach Training Program are intended for workers covered under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970, and within the Agency’s geographic jurisdiction. 

A recent policy revision for the Outreach Training Program has been designed to reinforce the intended program emphasis and limit the amount of OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour training classes conducted outside of the Agency’s jurisdiction. OSHA courses for the general public, including online courses, are only offered in training locations within the Agency’s jurisdiction. 

If I receive my OSHA Outreach Training authorization from an OTI Education Center, may I conduct Outreach training in other Regions?

Yes. The OSHA Outreach Training Authorization is valid throughout the United States. 

Are OSHA Training Institute Education Centers funded by OSHA?

No. Authorized OTI Education Centers support their OSHA training courses through their normal tuition and fee structures utilizing their own instructors and facilities. 

Can OSHA Training Institute Education Centers deliver on-site safety and health training for companies?

Yes. The OTI Education Centers offer added value in their ability to provide customized corporate training solutions and accommodate requests for on-site training courses. 

May an authorizing training organization charge fees for student course completion cards?

OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers do not receive any funding from OSHA. These organizations support their training programs and Outreach Training Program administrative activities through tuition and fees. For this reason, OSHA authorizes OTI Education Centers to charge fees for processing requests for student course completion cards.