OSHA to begin issuing more secure training cards

Washington – In response to concerns about fraud, OSHA has announced it is introducing more durable and secure completion cards for trainers and students of its Outreach Training Program classes.

Currently, students who complete 10-, 15- and 30-hour basic safety courses receive completion cards printed on paper. Beginning March 1, the cards will be made of a more durable card stock (similar to credit cards), and will feature a watermark when copied. Student and trainer cards will include a QR code that employers and workers can scan to authenticate against an electronic database of authorized trainers and students who have completed the classes.

Student cards will include the student’s name, trainer’s name, date of issue and the OSHA Training Institute center from which the card was issued. Trainer cards will include name, identification number, expiration date, and the OTI center where the trainer was authorized. These changes are expected to reduce fraud, OSHA said in a press release.

The agency will not reissue the new cards to individuals who already have a paper copy, but individuals can purchase a new card by contacting the trainer who conducted their class. New cards will be issued only for in-person training sessions; students who complete courses online will continue to receive paper cards.

The courses cover workers’ rights, OSHA protections, and hazard identification and prevention; and are tailored to the construction, maritime and general industry, and for disaster site workers. Although OSHA does not require these courses, some municipalities and employers do.