36 Hour Occupational Safety and Health Trainer for General Industry

The 36 Hour Occupational Safety and Health Trainer for General Industry program from the American Institute of Safety Professionals is a trainer-qualification programme that prepares safety professionals, supervisors, and subject-matter experts to design, develop, deliver, and evaluate occupational safety training programmes that meet OSHA regulatory training requirements and actually change worker behaviour on the shop floor. Knowing safety is not the same as being able to teach safety. This programme bridges that gap by combining technical safety content knowledge with the adult learning principles, instructional design skills, and training delivery techniques that transform a safety professional into an effective safety trainer.

OSHA mandates employer-provided safety training in more than 100 standards across 29 CFR 1910. Hazard Communication (1910.1200) requires employee training on chemical hazards. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) requires training for authorised and affected employees. Bloodborne Pathogens (1910.1030) requires annual training. Permit-Required Confined Spaces (1910.146) requires entrant, attendant, and entry supervisor training. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178) requires operator training and evaluation. Respiratory Protection (1910.134) requires training before respirator use. Every one of these standards specifies what must be taught, but few safety professionals have been formally trained in how to teach effectively. The result is compliance-checkbox training that workers sit through without retaining, understanding, or applying. OSHA citations for inadequate training consistently rank among the most frequent violations precisely because untrained trainers deliver ineffective training.

This programme addresses the complete training lifecycle: conducting training needs analysis to identify what workers actually need to learn, designing learning objectives aligned with OSHA requirements and job tasks, developing training materials and activities that engage adult learners, delivering training using techniques that maximise comprehension and retention (interactive exercises, demonstrations, scenario-based learning, hands-on practice), and evaluating training effectiveness through Kirkpatrick’s four-level model (reaction, learning, behaviour, results) to verify that training produces the workplace behaviour changes that prevent injuries.

All training is delivered 100 percent online through Microsoft Teams and the American Institute of Safety Professionals Learning Management System (LMS), with flexible scheduling. Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, professional wallet card, and official transcript. This programme complements the American Institute of Safety Professionals’s Fundamentals of Adult Learning and Instructional Design (Train The Trainers) certification (COU/AISP-5011) and can be taken alongside it for maximum trainer qualification.

Upon completing the 36 Hour Occupational Safety and Health Trainer for General Industry program, participants will be able to:

• Conduct a training needs analysis (TNA) that identifies the gap between current worker knowledge/behaviour and the regulatory requirements and safe work practices that OSHA mandates, producing a prioritised training plan tied to actual workplace hazards.
• Write measurable learning objectives using the ABCD format (Audience, Behaviour, Condition, Degree) that align with specific OSHA regulatory training requirements and enable post-training evaluation of competency.
• Design safety training curricula and lesson plans that sequence content logically, incorporate multiple learning modalities (visual, auditory, kinesthetic), and meet the specific OSHA training requirements of 29 CFR 1910 standards including HazCom, LOTO, Confined Spaces, Respiratory Protection, PIT, and BBP.
• Develop engaging training materials including presentations, handouts, job aids, checklists, practical exercises, case studies, and assessment instruments that reinforce learning objectives and can be reused across multiple training sessions.
• Deliver safety training sessions using adult learning principles (Knowles’ andragogy), managing classroom dynamics, encouraging participation, handling difficult learners, using questioning techniques to verify comprehension, and adapting delivery pace to audience needs.
• Demonstrate safety procedures and equipment use during training sessions, including PPE selection and use, lockout/tagout application, fire extinguisher operation, and other hands-on competencies that require demonstration followed by supervised practice.
• Design and deliver effective toolbox talks and short-form safety briefings (5-15 minutes) that communicate targeted safety messages to work crews before shifts or tasks begin, using the OSHA regulatory basis, workplace-specific examples, and interactive questions.
• Evaluate training effectiveness using Kirkpatrick’s four-level evaluation model: Level 1 (learner reaction/satisfaction), Level 2 (knowledge/skill acquisition via testing), Level 3 (on-the-job behaviour change via observation), and Level 4 (organisational results via incident rate reduction and compliance improvement).
• Maintain OSHA-compliant training documentation including training records, attendance registers, competency assessments, and retraining schedules that demonstrate compliance during OSHA inspections and internal audits.
• Identify OSHA standards that require specific training topics and frequencies (initial training, retraining triggers, refresher requirements, annual training) across 29 CFR 1910 to build an organisation-wide training calendar that maintains continuous compliance.

• Safety professionals who deliver or will deliver safety training as part of their safety officer, coordinator, or manager role
• Dedicated safety trainers employed by manufacturing, warehousing, healthcare, food processing, or other general industry employers
• Supervisors and team leaders who are responsible for toolbox talks, on-the-job safety training, and new-hire safety orientation
• Subject-matter experts (electricians, maintenance technicians, chemical operators) who teach safety topics in their area of expertise but have no formal training delivery skills
• HR and training department staff who coordinate or deliver safety training components within their broader training responsibilities
• Safety consultants who deliver training to client organisations and want a formal trainer qualification to demonstrate competency
• Professionals preparing for OSHA Outreach Trainer authorisation or other trainer-level credentials who need foundational instructional skills

Prerequisite: Basic safety knowledge equivalent to the 10 Hour or 30 Hour General Industry programme is recommended. Participants should understand the OSHA standards they will be teaching before focusing on how to teach them. Those also interested in adult learning theory at an academic level should consider combining this programme with the American Institute of Safety Professionals Fundamentals of Adult Learning and Instructional Design (Train The Trainers) course (COU/AISP-5011).

• Basic safety knowledge equivalent to the 10 Hour or 30 Hour General Industry programme is recommended
• Prior experience delivering training, toolbox talks, or safety briefings is helpful but not required
• No formal academic degree is required
• No prior trainer certification is required
• All instruction is delivered in English; professional proficiency in English is required

Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, wallet card, and transcript. All credentials are employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

• Level 1 → 10 Hour General Industry Safety and Health
• Level 2 → 30 Hour General Industry Safety and Health
• Level 3 → 32 Hour Safety Committee Member
• Level 4 → 36 Hour Safety Committee Chair
• Level 5 → 36 Hour OSH Trainer for General Industry — YOU ARE HERE
• Level 6 → 36 Hour OSH Supervisor for General Industry
• Level 7 → 44 Hour OSH Specialist for General Industry
• Level 8 → 48 Hour OSH Manager for General Industry
• Level 9 → 132 Hour OSH Professional for General Industry

Trainers seeking to advance into supervisory safety management should consider the 36 Hour OSH Supervisor or 44 Hour OSH Specialist programmes. Those seeking a complementary academic foundation in adult learning should consider the Fundamentals of Adult Learning and Instructional Design (Train The Trainers) course (COU/AISP-5011).

The 36 Hour Occupational Safety and Health Trainer for General Industry program integrates safety content expertise with instructional design and training delivery competencies.

• Adult Learning Principles and Instructional Theory (4 Hours): Knowles’ adult learning theory (andragogy), learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, reading/writing), Bloom’s taxonomy for writing learning objectives, motivation factors for adult learners, barriers to learning in workplace settings, and the difference between training (skill development) and education (knowledge development).
• Training Needs Analysis and Programme Planning (3 Hours): Conducting training needs analysis at organisational, task, and individual levels. Gap analysis between current competency and OSHA-required competency. Prioritising training needs based on hazard severity and regulatory urgency. Developing the annual training plan and calendar. Budgeting for training delivery.
• Instructional Design for Safety Training (4 Hours): The ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) applied to safety training. Writing measurable learning objectives (ABCD format). Sequencing content from simple to complex. Designing interactive activities: role plays, case studies, group exercises, demonstrations, practical skills stations. Selecting delivery methods: classroom, hands-on, e-learning, blended learning.
• Training Delivery Techniques (4 Hours): Classroom management for safety training. Presentation skills: voice projection, eye contact, movement, pacing. Facilitating group discussions and managing dominant/quiet participants. Demonstration-practice-feedback cycles for hands-on skills. Questioning techniques: open, closed, redirected, Socratic. Handling difficult learners: resistant, disengaged, argumentative. Time management during training delivery.
• Toolbox Talks and Short-Form Safety Communication (2 Hours): Designing 5–15 minute toolbox talks tied to OSHA standards and current workplace hazards. Toolbox talk structure: hook, content, discussion, action commitment. Delivery techniques for informal settings (shop floor, break room, pre-shift huddle). Building a toolbox talk library for recurring hazards. Measuring toolbox talk effectiveness.
• OSHA Regulatory Training Requirements (4 Hours): Mapping OSHA-mandated training across 29 CFR 1910: HazCom (1910.1200), LOTO (1910.147), Confined Spaces (1910.146), Respiratory Protection (1910.134), Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178), BBP (1910.1030), PPE (Subpart I), Electrical (Subpart S), Walking/Working Surfaces (Subpart D), Emergency Action Plans (1910.38), Fire Prevention (1910.39). Initial training requirements, retraining triggers, refresher frequencies, and documentation standards for each.
• Hazard Recognition Content for Trainers (4 Hours): Technical safety content the trainer must master before teaching: machine guarding hazards (1910.212), electrical hazards (Subpart S), chemical hazards and SDS interpretation (1910.1200), fall hazards (Subpart D), energy control (1910.147), confined space atmospheric hazards (1910.146), and ergonomic risk factors. Emphasis on translating technical content into worker-accessible language.
• Training Evaluation and Documentation (3 Hours): Kirkpatrick’s four-level evaluation model applied to safety training. Designing written and practical assessments. Analysing assessment results to identify knowledge gaps. Post-training observation of on-the-job behaviour. Measuring training impact through incident rate trends, near-miss reporting rates, and OSHA inspection findings. OSHA-compliant training record documentation and retention.

• Hands-On Skills Training Design (2 Hours): Designing practical training stations for PPE donning/doffing, fire extinguisher operation, lockout/tagout application, SDS lookup, and confined space entry procedures. Instructor-to-learner ratios for hands-on training. Skills assessment checklists and competency sign-off protocols.
• E-Learning and Blended Safety Training (2 Hours): Designing safety training for online delivery platforms (LMS). Creating engaging e-learning modules. Blended learning design: combining online content with in-person hands-on practice. Accessibility considerations for diverse workforces. Tracking and reporting training completion through LMS platforms.
• Training for Multilingual and Diverse Workforces (2 Hours): Strategies for training workers with limited English proficiency. Visual-based training materials. Using interpreters effectively. Culturally sensitive training design. Plain language principles for safety communication. OSHA’s requirements for training in a language workers understand.
• Training Programme Management and Continuous Improvement (2 Hours): Managing the organisation’s safety training function: trainer qualification, training calendar management, training material version control, subject-matter expert coordination. Continuous improvement of training programmes based on evaluation data, incident trends, and regulatory changes.