What Is an OSHA Outreach Instructor?
Definition: An OSHA outreach instructor is a trainer authorized through the OSHA Outreach Training Program to teach 10-hour and 30-hour safety and health courses in construction, general industry, maritime, or disaster site work. Trainers earn authorization by completing an OSHA trainer course at an OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center and meeting experience requirements. Students who complete their courses receive official Department of Labor completion cards. OSHA refers to these trainers as "authorized," though they are commonly called certified outreach instructors.
The OSHA Outreach Training Program teaches workers to recognize, avoid, and prevent job-related hazards and to understand their rights. The 10-hour courses are designed for entry-level workers, while the 30-hour courses are intended for supervisors and workers with safety responsibility. The program is voluntary under federal OSHA, but many employers, general contractors, project owners, unions, and some states and cities require workers to hold OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 cards before they can work on a site.
Hiring an authorized outreach instructor lets companies train entire crews on their own schedule — often at the job site, in the crew's language, and with examples drawn from the hazards they actually face, such as scaffolds, fall protection, and excavations. Trainers must keep their authorization current by completing an update course on a regular cycle. Through Scaffold Exchange, you can find OSHA outreach instructors and training providers across the U.S. and compare their courses and availability.
Courses Taught by OSHA Outreach Instructors
Outreach instructors are authorized for specific industries. Common outreach courses include the following.
OSHA 10-Hour Construction
Entry-level hazard awareness training for construction workers, covering falls, electrocution, struck-by, and caught-in hazards and more.
OSHA 30-Hour Construction
In-depth training for supervisors and workers with safety responsibility, including scaffolds, fall protection, excavations, and cranes.
OSHA 10-Hour General Industry
Entry-level training for workers in manufacturing, warehousing, maintenance, and other general industry settings.
OSHA 30-Hour General Industry
Comprehensive training for supervisors and safety personnel in general industry workplaces.
Site-Specific Safety Training
Additional scaffold, fall protection, and hazard training tailored to the employer's equipment and job site conditions.
Who Uses OSHA Outreach Instructors
OSHA outreach training is used by employers and workers across construction and general industry throughout the United States.
Scaffold and construction contractors training crews
Workers needing OSHA 10 cards for site access
Foremen and supervisors needing OSHA 30 cards
Manufacturing and industrial plant employees
Projects with owner or GC training requirements
Workers in states and cities requiring OSHA cards
Apprenticeship and workforce development programs
Companies needing bilingual or on-site classes
How OSHA Outreach Training Compares to Other Training
OSHA outreach courses provide broad hazard awareness. Here is how they compare to related training and services.
SAIA University scaffold training
- Focused specifically on scaffolds and access
- Competent person and hazard awareness courses
- Industry-developed SAIAU curriculum
- Best for scaffold erectors and users
Coating inspector certification
- Technical certification for inspectors
- Three levels from Basic to Senior Certified
- Focused on coatings quality, not general safety
- Best for inspectors and coatings QA/QC
OSHA 10 and 30-hour training
- Authorized through the OSHA Outreach Program
- Construction and general industry courses
- Official Department of Labor cards
- Best for broad hazard awareness and site access
Engineered, sealed scaffold designs
- Engineering rather than training
- Required for tall and non-standard scaffolds
- Trained crews build to the design
- Best when codes, owners, or permits require it
Round-the-clock scaffold service
- Requires trained crews on every shift
- OSHA cards often required for site access
- Shutdowns, turnarounds, and night work
- Best for planned off-hours scaffold work
Find OSHA Outreach Instructors Near You
Use the Scaffold Exchange map to search by location, filter by training type, and connect directly with authorized OSHA outreach instructors offering 10-hour and 30-hour courses at their facilities or your site.
OSHA Compliance & Safety Standards
OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926.21 requires construction employers to instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to their work environment. Outreach 10-hour and 30-hour courses help employers meet that general duty and build hazard awareness, but they do not replace the specific training required by individual OSHA standards — such as scaffold, fall protection, and excavation training — which must address the actual equipment and conditions on the job.
- Employees trained to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions
- Trainer authorization current through OSHA update courses
- Official Department of Labor cards issued to students
- Standard-specific training provided in addition to outreach
- Training delivered in a language workers understand
- Training records maintained by the employer
1926.21
Safety Training and Education — U.S. Construction Regulations
OSHA Interpretations & Rulings →