New Limit on length of mandatory safety training classes will help reduce risk of Chicago work accidents
Employers will not be able to cram mandatory safety training into long days under new rules that go into effect immediately, the Occupation Safety & Health Administration reported.
Our Chicago work accident lawyers and Illinois workers' compensation attorneys applaud this measure, which will force employers to give adequate time to mandatory safety training instead of forcing employees to attempt to digest the information in 12 or 14 hour days. Too frequently, employers are loathed to give up the time and productivity necessary to provide for adequate training -- excessively long training days did little more than pay lip service to safety requirements while increasing the risk of a serious or fatal Illinois work injury.
OSHA called for an immediate halt to excessively long training days as concerns have grown over the ability of employees to process and retain the critical safety information aimed at reducing injuries, illnesses and death in the workplace. In some instances the 10-hour mandatory training sessions were being held in one day and the 30-hour sessions were being held in two or three days. OSHA was also concerned they were not meeting the hourly requirement once breaks, lunch and other downtime were factored into the equation.
The revisions require classes be held a maximum of 7.5 hours a day. The 10-hour training sessions must now be held over at least two days and the 30 hour sessions must take at least 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.
Going forward, OSHA will not recognize time spent in training sessions beyond the 7.5 hour daily maximum. The classes are taught by 17,000 independent trainers in workplaces across the country. There are 10- and 30-hour sessions for employees in construction, general industry and maritime. Sixteen-hour sessions are given to workers at disaster sites.
The agency has set up a fraud hotline at 847-725-7810 were interested parties can report those violating the new law.
If you are injured in a work accident in Illinois, the Chicago workers' compensation lawyers at the VanPopering Law Offices for a free appointment to discuss your case. 1-800-767-4878.
