Adequate work-safety training critical to preventing serious and fatal Boston work accidents

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration has announced immediate changes to how companies must conduct outreach safety training programs after concern that employers were cramming training into unreasonably long workdays, thereby endangering employee safety.

Our Boston work injury lawyers are too often called to represent an injured employee after a Massachusetts work accident that could have been prevented with proper training and/or safety equipment. Unfortunately, employers sometimes put profits before safety. Amid the current economic challenges, OSHA became concerned that employees were not being provided adequate time to digest information provided in 10-hour and 30-hour training courses — primarily because companies were holding the training sessions in one-day or three-day marathon sessions.

The revisions permit a maximum of 7.5 hours of safety training a day. Ten-hour sessions must be held over at least two days. Thirty-hour sessions must occur over a minimum of four days.

“Limiting daily class hours will help ensure that workers receive and retain quality safety training,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA David Michaels.

The government was also concerned that the minimum training hours were not being met during 13- or 16-hour training days after breaks, lunch and other down time was taken into account.

A safety training fraud hotline has also been established, where fraud can be reported by employees or other interested parties.

The Outreach Training Program involves more than 17,000 independent trainers who teach employees workers’ rights and how to identify and prevent workplace hazards. The 10- and 30-hour classes are for construction, general industry and maritime, while a 16-hour class is provided for disaster site workers.

If you have been injured in a Boston work accident, contact the Massachusetts workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Office of Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333.