Safety Training Topics
The following is a list of safety training topics currently provided by EHS.
The topics included in this list represent an overview of all safety topics; not every employee is required to receive every training listed. This list is not all inclusive and some job activities/tasks may require special safety training that is not covered here.
Supervisors should ensure each employee is trained to safely perform their tasks prior to performing them. Safety training checklists and refresher tracking forms are available for Facilities & Property Management (FPM) crews, Capital Projects & Construction (CPC) Project Managers, and some Campus Sustainability Office (CSO) units specify more specific requirements per individual employee. Those checklists may be found below this list.
Refresher training may be provided more frequently than noted, or as-needed, if changes in the workplace or work tasks occur, or if the employee demonstrates a lack of knowledge or understanding of the topic.
Asbestos
There are two courses offered for Asbestos depending on the activities/tasks of the employee.
Employees who engage in activities that may have potential or accidental contact with potentially asbestos containing materials (PACM), including custodial and some maintenance work, will receive Asbestos Awareness (Class IV) training.
Employees whose work involves repair and maintenance work of up to three (3) square feet or three (3) linear feet of asbestos containing material (ACM) and PACM will receive Asbestos Operations and Maintenance (O&M) (Class III) training. This includes Facilities and Construction staff members who work with and have the potential to disturb ACM or PACM during their work operations.
No student workers should ever disturb any amount of asbestos. Student workers that may potentially contact ACM or PACM through routine work assignments will receive Asbestos Awareness.
Both courses require an annual (yearly) refresher.
Bloodborne Pathogens
There are two courses offered for Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) depending on the activities/tasks of the employee.
Employees who may come into contact with bloodborne pathogen material will receive Bloodborne Pathogens Awareness training. This training is provided to all FPM and CPC staff that do not receive the higher level of BBP training.
Employees whose job activities/tasks may potentially expose them to bloodborne pathogens, where they may come into direct contact with such materials, will receive Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control training. Activities include, but are not limited to, cleaning up sharps, bodily fluids, or other potentially infectious material (OPIM). The Hepatitis B Vaccination program is covered during this training.
Both courses require an annual (yearly) refresher.
Confined Space
Entry into permit-required confined spaces is prohibited for all employees. Confined Space Awareness training is required for employees who may encounter permit or non-permit required spaces throughout the course of their work.
This course requires a refresher every three (3) years.
Electrical Safety
There are two courses offered for Electrical Safety depending on the activities/tasks of the employee.
Employees who may potentially be exposed to the risk of electric shock during their regular work duties but do not engage in any energized electrical work, including Lockout/Tagout procedures, will receive Electrical Safety Awareness training.
An employee whose work duties require them to perform work or maintenance on energized electrical equipment or machines will receive Electrical Safety Qualified Person training. To be considered a Qualified Person, the employee should have a General Journeyman (J) or General Supervising (S) electrical license.
Arc flash safety is also covered during both the Awareness and Qualified Person training.
Both courses require a refresher every three (3) years.
Fall Protection
Employees whose job duties require them to work at heights will receive Fall Protection training. Working from heights includes, but is not limited to, activities/tasks performed on rooftops, working from ladders, and working in boom lifts.
A very select number of employees may also receive Fall Protection Competent Person training, which enables them to be responsible for the supervision, implementation, and monitoring of the Fall Protection Program.
This course requires a refresher every three (3) years.
First Aid / CPR / AED
Employees who routinely work in the field are offered First Aid / CPR / AED training.
This course requires a re-certification every two (2) years.
Fit-Testing & Respiratory Protection
Employees who are either required to or voluntarily choose to wear a filtering facepiece respirator, such as an N95 respirator, for any of their job activities/tasks will receive Fit-Testing and Respiratory Protection training. This training involves both a physical fit-test and theoretical instruction about the use of respirators.
Employees who voluntarily choose to wear any type of masks, including filtering facepiece, dust, or surgical masks will receive Voluntary Use Respiratory Protection training. This is a brief training from EHS, which includes reviewing Appendix D to OR-OSHA 1910.134.
Fit-Testing and Respiratory Protection require an annual (yearly) refresher. Voluntary Use Respiratory Protection only requires an annual refresher if fit-testing is required (use of filtering facepiece/N95 respirators).
Hazard Communication
Prior to any job assignment involving work with hazardous chemicals, employees must receive Hazard Communication training. Employees who only use household consumer products in the same manner that a consumer would use them are exempt from this training requirement. This exemption includes staff working only in office environments.
This course requires a refresher every two (2) years.
Heat Illness Prevention
Employees who may be exposed to a heat index of 80 degrees Fahrenheit or more for at least 15 minutes in any 60 minute work period must receive Heat Illness Prevention training. This is mandatory for all PSU employees, including supervisory, non-supervisory, full-time, part-time, temporary, and student employees and will be assigned by Human Resources in Canvas.
Industrial Ergonomics
Employees who are performing work activities/tasks outside of an office environment will receive Industrial Ergonomics training.
This course requires a refresher every three (3) years.
Laboratory Safety Awareness
Employees who perform work activities/tasks in any of the science buildings and/or laboratories on campus, including after hours once-call employees, will receive Laboratory Safety Awareness training. Activities/tasks include maintenance, renovation, plumbing, etc.
This course requires a refresher every two (2) years.
Ladder Safety
Employees whose job tasks require them to use a ladder will receive Ladder Safety training.
This course is offered annually as part of Ladder Safety Month.
Lead
There are three courses offered for Lead depending on the activities/tasks of the employee.
Employees and their Supervisors who engage in activities that may have potential or accidental contact with materials potentially containing lead, such as lead paint, will receive Lead Awareness training. This course may also be assigned to employees required to receive the Lead O&M training as described below between initial assignment and scheduling.
Employees who are likely to perform work that impacts lead containing materials will receive Lead Operations and Maintenance (O&M) training.
Employees who are assigned to work on surfaces with lead containing materials in housing, daycare, or other child occupied buildings constructed prior to 1985 will receive the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) training. This includes the following campus buildings: Blackstone, Montgomery, King Albert, Blumel, Parkway, Stratford, St. Helens, Smith Memorial Student Union childcare facility, and Helen Gordon Child Development Center.
Lead Awareness and Lead O&M both require an annual (yearly) refresher.
Lead RRP requires a re-certification every five (5) years.
Lockout / Tagout
There are two courses offered for Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) depending on the activities/tasks of the employee.
Employees who are required to perform LOTO on equipment/machinery to do service of maintenance work will receive Lockout/Tagout Authorized Employee training. This includes how to recognize hazardous energy sources, methods and means to control the energy, and how to verify the energy is controlled/de-energized.
Employees who use equipment/machinery that may be required to be de-energized and locked and/or tagged out to control the hazardous energy, or that work in an area where this equipment/machinery is stored, but are not authorized to perform LOTO activities will receive Lockout/Tagout Awareness - Affected Employee training. This includes the purpose and use of energy control procedures and how to recognize LOTO so startup of equipment/machinery does not occur while an Authorized Employee is performing service or maintenance.
An employee will not be authorized to perform LOTO procedure until they have received the appropriate training.
Both courses require a refresher every two (2) years.
Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (Aerial Lifts)
Employees who have been identified by their supervisor as an individual required to operate a Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) for their job will receive Mobile Elevating Work Platform training.
This course was previously referred to as Aerial Lift training. Employees are prohibited from operating MEWPs prior to receiving their initial certification.
There are two separate training requirements depending on the piece of equipment being used.
- Boom and Scissor Lifts
- Compact Crawler training
Operation of the Compact Crawler is prohibited unless the employee has been trained specifically for that piece of equipment. This does not include the training/certification provided for the Boom and Scissor Lifts. This course is offered on a very limited basis.
Operators should also complete Safe Driving training prior to operating any lift equipment.
Both courses require a re-certification every three (3) years.
Personal Protective Equipment
Employees whose job activities/tasks require them to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves from potential or known hazards will receive Personal Protective Equipment training. Types of PPE include, but are not limited to, hand protection (gloves) and eye protection (safety glasses). Training topics include identification of the type of PPE needed for the job, how to maintain PPE, and how to properly don/doff equipment safely.
This courses requires a refresher every two (2) years.
Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts)
Employees who have been identified by their supervisor as an individual required to operate a powered industrial truck (PIT) (forklift) for their job will receive Forklift Operator Safety training.
While there are types of PITs other than forklifts, these are the only types used on campus. If another type of PIT is introduced into the workplace, designated operators should receive specific training on that type of equipment. Additionally, operators should be trained on the type of forklift used in their specific workplace.
Operators should also complete Safe Driving training prior to operating a forklift.
This courses requires a re-certification every three (3) years.
Safe Driving
There are two courses offered for Safe Driving depending on the activities/tasks of the employee.
Any employee who is designated to operate a university owned, rented, or leased vehicle or cart for university business will receive Safe Driving training. This training is also required for employees who are designated to operate Manual Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP), such as boom and/or scissor lifts, and Powered Industrial Trucks (PIT), such as forklifts.
Any employee who is designated to operate a university cart type of vehicle will receive Utility Cart training in addition to Safe Driving. The term carts applies to Taylor-Dunn, C-mag, golf, and utility carts, in addition to Gators.
A driver authorization form is also required to complete this designation.
For more information on the types of university vehicles please refer to the EHS Safe Driving Program webpage.
These courses require a refresher every two (2) years.
Safety Committee Member
PSU employees who serve on the Campus Safety Committee (CSC) and/or the Facilities & Construction Safety Committee (FCSC) will receive Safety Committee Member training. This training covers the roles and responsibilities of members, incident/accident analysis and review, and how to identify workplace hazards.
Committee members should attend this training prior to participating on a committee workplace safety inspection.
The course only requires a refresher as-needed.
Safety in Motion
Safety in Motion (SIM) training is a tool designed to reduce physical stress and strain, boost balance and strength, and improve productivity for employees who primarily work in the field or are involved in work activities/tasks that require forceful exertions, heavy lifting, awkward postures, and/or repetitive motions.
There are four (4) core training modules as well as a cumulative module with the 10 most important techniques (SIM-plicity). Core training modules typically last 30 minutes, while SIM-plicity lasts 45-60 minutes.
It is recommended for employees to receive SIM-plicity first and then the core training modules, as-needed.
This course only requires a refresher as-needed or in the form of additional core module training following SIM-plicity.
Silica
There are two courses offered for Silica depending on the activities/tasks of the employee.
All FPM and CPC crew full-time employees and student workers who may encounter silica containing material during job activities/tasks will receive Silica Awareness training. This training provides an overview of hazardous respirable silica, including how to recognize it and tasks that should be avoided to prevent exposures.
Employees who frequently work on job sites or conduct job tasks where there is potential for exposure to hazardous respirable silica may receive Silica Competent Person training. Silica Competent Persons have the ability to implement the Silica Exposure Control Plan, identify potential hazardous, and implement corrective actions. Supervisors and Managers of FPM crews and CPC Project Managers are required to attend this training.
Employees who receive Silica Competent Person training are also required to still receive the Silica Awareness training and will be assigned Silica Awareness in Construction training as well.
Both courses require a refresher every two (2) years.
Slips, Trips, and Falls
All FPM and CPC full-time employees and student workers will receive Slips, Trips, and Falls training.
This courses requires a refresher every three (3) years.
Universal Waste
Employees whose job activities/tasks require them to handle light bulbs, batteries, and/or ballasts will receive Universal Waste Management training. This includes full-time employees and student workers who change light bulbs throughout campus buildings, or otherwise relocate these items to storage locations for disposal.
This course requires a refresher every three (3) years.