Question: How do I apply for the Safety & Health Fundamentals certificate?

Answer:

Upon completion of the last course needed to earn the certificate, request an Application Verification Form from any OTI Education Center where you have completed at least one of the required or elective courses. Complete the Application Verification Form, submit proof of successful completion of each course, and pay the required processing fee to the OTI Education Center.

Question: Can I receive Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for the Public Sector Safety & Health Fundamentals certificate?

Answer:

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are nationally recognized units of measurement for post-secondary education, professional development, and career training. Many of the OTI Education Centers provide CEUs for their courses.  To determine whether or not you will earn CEUs for an OTI Education Center course completed for the Public Sector Safety and Health Fundamentals certificate program, please contact the respective OTI Education Center or go to the Searchable Course Schedule.

Question: What is the cost associated with earning the Safety & Health Fundamentals certificate?

Answer:

The tuition and fees for the OTI Education Center courses vary and are determined by each OTI Education Center. For a course schedule, dates, location, and fees refer to the searchable course schedule at https://www.osha.gov/otiec/courses/schedule.

Question: How can I find out which OTI Education Center courses are required for the Safety and Health Fundamentals certificate program?

Answer:

Courses required to complete the Safety & Health Fundamentals certificate program may be found in the requirements documents located on the Safety and Health Fundamentals Certificate Program web page.

Question: Do the courses for the Safety & Health Fundamentals certificate program have to be taken at the same OTI Education Center?

Answer:

No. You decide which OTI Education Center is most convenient to attend. Courses taken at any OTI Education Center are transferable and can count toward the certificate program.

Question: How do I choose an OTI Education Center?

Answer:

The OTI Education Centers are a national network of non-profit organizations authorized by OSHA to deliver occupational safety and health training to public and private sector workers, supervisors, and employers on behalf of OSHA. OTI Education Centers offer a wide range of safety and health topics including safety and health standards for construction, maritime, and general industry; hazardous materials; confined space; electrical standards; and fall protection.

There is at least one OTI Education Center located in each OSHA Region. You select which OTI Education Center is most convenient based on location, course schedule, and tuition. OTI Education Center locations along with course descriptions, tuition, and a searchable course schedule can be found at https://www.osha.gov/otiec/.

Question: How do I earn the Public Sector Safety & Health Fundamentals certificate?

Answer:

To earn a Public Sector Safety & Health Fundamentals certificate you must complete a minimum of seven (7) OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center courses, comprised of three (3) required courses and additional elective courses for a minimum of 68 contact hours. The certificate program is separated into tracks for Construction and General Industry.

Question: What is the purpose of the Safety & Health Fundamentals certificate program?

Answer:

OSHA developed the Safety & Health Fundamentals certificate program in support of OSHA’s mission to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women. The certificate program is a proactive measure to protect employees across the nation.

Question: Can I become certified or get a certification through the Public Sector Safety & Health Fundamentals certificate program?

Answer:

No. OSHA does not does not certify individuals, nor offer certifications. Certifications are awarded by a third-party, standard-setting organization. Certification results from an assessment process by which individuals are evaluated against predetermined standards for knowledge, skills, and or competencies. The certification indicates a competency of a subject-matter as measured against a defensible set of standards that are set by an industry-wide process. Certification programs typically require some amount of professional experience and/or academic degrees from approved institutes of higher-education. Most certification programs have ongoing requirements to maintain certification and typically results in a designation after one’s name; such as Certified Safety Professional (CSP) or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).

Certificates are generally awarded to recognize completion of a training course or series of courses. The requirements to receive a certificate are determined by the training provider and can vary widely. Requirements can range from being in attendance to meeting the American National Standard ANSI/ASTM E2659-09, which requires developing a quality education/training course that has an assessment at the end to determine if the learning outcomes have been achieved. The Public Sector Safety & Health Fundamentals certificate program offered by OSHA results in a certificate being issued to the student to recognize successful completion of a specific series of courses related to occupational safety and health.

Question: What is the Personal Theme Worksheet in the #7600 class and how is it to be used?

Answer:

A major theme of the Disaster Site Worker Course #7600 is to "enable Disaster Site Workers to recognize that they have a responsibility to make decisions and choices that will positively affect their personal health/safety and that of others at the site."

A "Personal Theme Worksheet" is provided to students in the #7600 course for them to record, at the end of each lesson, one or more actions related to the lesson content that they personally can take to protect themselves and others. Answers will be discussed at the end of the course.

Some possible entries on a student's worksheet might be:
For the Incident Command Lesson:

• -- "I need to check in and out of a disaster site so the Command can keep track of who is on site when making safety decisions."
• -- "It is my responsibility to report hazards up the chain of command so they can be dealt with and not endanger myself or my co-workers."

For the Respiratory Protection Lesson:

• -- "Wearing the respirator provided will protect my own health."

For the Decontamination Lesson:

• -- "It is my responsibility to change out of my work clothes or protective equipment before going home to my family."