Record Keeping For Safety Trainings

OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) has requirements for recordkeeping for Safety Trainings that are required by law. Maintaining these records can be time-consuming and hard to find in the event of an OSHA inspection. 

TIPS TO KEEP RECORDKEEPING MANAGEABLE: 

• Don’t file training records in employee’s personnel files. Although this is not illegal, an OSHA inspector will want to view training records by date and topic of the training. Searching through employee files is time-consuming and frustrating.  If records are kept in personnel files and you give the inspector access to all of the information in an employee’s personnel file you could open up your company to a claim of invasion of privacy or other inspections. 
• Employee training records should be maintained and are subject to inspection for up to 3 years. 
• Know the records that you don’t have to produce for an inspection. There are a few documents that you do not have to produce for an OSHA inspector. They are: 
  • Safety and Health Audits  
  • Self-Inspection Checklists  
  • Informal Notes by Supervisors  
  • Corporate Safety Policy  
• Get proof of what documentation they are asking for, if you feel they shouldn’t be seeing that information.  If you are asked to produce a record, politely ask the inspector to show you in the CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) where it states that it is mandatory. If they cannot produce the proof that you need to show the records, it is your right to respectfully decline to produce them. 
• Keep a separate log of training, with employee names and signatures. This makes it easier for you (in the event of an investigation) to produce a complete list of who took the training on any particular date. 
• Keep documentation of discipline. Keep records of any corrective actions or discipline you have taken in the event of a safety violation. This could show the inspector that you are vigilant in following safety rules and requirements.