Is Investing in an OSHA Course Worth It for My Career in Recruitment and Payroll?

Dear All, I have 3+ years of experience in the field of Recruitment & Payroll processes for Singapore-based employees in dollars. I am interested in studying an OSHA course, please guide. I walked in at IIPHS, the course fee is 1+ lakh. I find it difficult to choose the course since the course fee is too high. Please guide me, is it worth studying the course? Will I get a job after training? Kindly advise me.

Dear Friend, realize that OSHA training is conducted based on statutes (CFR - Code of Federal Regulations) prevailing in the USA. You can be trained for OSHA 30 hours for the Construction Industry or OSHA 30 hours for General Industry. OSHA 10 hours are for employees, whereas 30 hours are for safety personnel.

Depending on which country you are in, the qualifications prescribed for safety officers differ. Some countries do not even prescribe any qualifications, and anyone who can do the prescribed job can be a safety officer. In this case, the employer decides the caliber. An OSHA card is an added credential and often preferred, but it does not guarantee any employment.

However, American companies now prefer OSHA-certified personnel as safety officers. Because of this, in Middle Eastern countries, most employers ask for OSHA-certified personnel as Safety Officers.

If you provide me with all the details such as your qualifications, age, experience, the country where you seek employment as a safety officer, etc., I may be able to offer further assistance.

Regards, Nuways

Dear Nuways, Thank you very much for your valuable information and the time you spent on me. I am Thiyagarajan. I have completed my Master's in HR through distance education from Pondicherry University. I am 26 years old and have 3 years of experience in HR, focusing on recruitment and payroll. I am ready to relocate and am currently based in Chennai. I am open to working in any country if accommodation and food are provided. Kindly guide me further. Looking forward to your reply.

Regards, Thiyagarajan

If you are in Chennai, try finding Jacob Mathew. He runs an institute where he offers OSHA 30-hour General Industry training and also conducts NEBOSH courses. Jacob Mathew is a recognized OSHA Trainer. You can try finding him through the yellow pages. He may also provide job openings in safety if needed. If I recall the contact number, I will inform you accordingly.

Considering a Career Shift

But why do you want to transfer from HR to Safety? I am a Fire Professional now in the HSEF department. Despite completing my MBA in HR, the challenges in my field are so enthusiastic that I don't plan to shift to HR completely. Instead, I am utilizing my HR knowledge in HSEF. I would like to offer my free advice that once you gain experience in the HR field, consider acquiring more expertise in your relevant field. If you are going for training in OSHA, try implementing the knowledge in your field, especially during recruitment, as safety is of prime importance.

Whatever you choose, BEST OF LUCK IN LIFE.

Best Regards

Transitioning from HR to Safety: A Guide

You are from HR and now desire a change to Safety. Your reasoning is that the "Safety Officer's job is so attractive" with a very high salary, status, and an easy job. How can you get into it?

You have heard about OSHA. From media and friends, you gather that undergoing OSHA training will help you get the job.

In India, one has to meet the statutory requirements on qualifications to become a safety officer - a minimum engineering diploma with a post-diploma in Safety engineering and so on. Here, you have no chance.

The scope is in the Middle East.

You can get a job as a safety officer irrespective of your qualifications there. Most of the safety officers there did not have much of an educational qualification. Experienced employees who can simply manage the safety functions used to be designated as Safety Officers. Of late, the condition is changing.

Getting experienced workers for other trades is also difficult. So, transferring a good worker to safety is not resorted to. They recruit fresh, trained ones as safety officers. Chances are only in construction safety. (There is another area where if trained, you stand a chance, and that is Hygiene Officer in service industries like food industries, hotels, etc. - which is also a part of safety with specialization in hygiene.)

If you join a reputed safety training institute for a minimum of a six-month course and develop competency, I am sure that you can easily get into this profession in the Middle East.

Most of the institutes now in India conducting safety training have no expert faculty who have exposure to the Middle East, construction experience, and much knowledge in the subject. I am sure that the best faculty in these institutes will not even know the definition of occupational safety or the weight of a helmet. It is as simple as that. They are just reading out the readily available notes and even without you attending classes, giving you certificates.

If you are determined, spend some time to find a suitable training institute first.

As mentioned, the paper certificate is not that important in the Middle East, though they prefer it nowadays. What they really want is competency - knowledge, skill, and attitude to do the job at the site from the very first day.

With your educational background, it will be easy for you to master the job fast. Even while undergoing the training, you can start attending the interviews and with luck, even before completing the course, you may fly.

OSHA will not help you to master the job requirements. There are two courses: OSHA 10 hrs and 30 hrs. 10 hrs for workers and 30 hrs for safety people. Within this short time, they expose you to selected topics and not everything you should have. If you prefer, while undergoing safety training, you can take OSHA too, which can just add up to your credentials.

I am an OSHA trainer myself, and you can see the reason to take my advice.

For further help, if any in the matter, please just mention it.

Regards,
Kesava Pillai

Dear Sir,
The reason behind my career change is to earn more money. At this point in time, I am earning very little despite having 3 years of experience. I am working for ABAN as an HR payroll specialist, and here I get inspired by the nature of the job and the skills required for it. I asked my company's Senior Safety Officer about this, and he said simply, "Not to study in India." He wants to study in the US or Singapore.

One of my school friends is in Singapore, and I have inquired with him to get details about the training classes, fees, etc. He has replied, asking for some time since he is working in the Army. I also walked into a training institute in Chennai that conducts training classes in PUDUKKOTTAI, Tamil Nadu. The name of the institute is IIPHS - Regional Training Center. They have operations in India and Singapore, but the course fee is too high, which is not affordable for me (₹1.25 Lakh).

I am still conducting research about the course as I am aiming to become a Safety Officer. My father is a farmer and depends on my income. Is it possible to apply for a bank loan if I want to study abroad? I also spoke with one of my Senior HR colleagues in my office. She said to undergo a medical test to qualify for working on rigs. Also, some of the mandatory trainings include STCW 95, PSSR, PSM, PHA, PST, EFA, AFF, FPFF. I searched online and gained some knowledge about it. I feel like these mandatory trainings will be included in OSHA itself, but I am not sure. Can you please tell me what other tests and trainings I need to undergo if I want to become a Safety Officer? Kindly advise.

Mandatory Trainings
STCW - 95 [Standards of Training Certification & Watch Keeping for Seafarers 95]
PSSR [Pre-start up Safety Review]
PSM [OSHAS Process Safety Management]
PHA [Process Hazards Analysis]
PST [Personal Survival Techniques]
EFA [Electronic Fire Alarm]
EFA [Elementary First Aid]
AFF [Advanced Fire Fighting Course]
FPFF [Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Course]

Thanks for your valuable advice. I look forward to your suggestions and guidelines for my future.

Regards,

Dear Friend, I will send you the topics for OSHA 30 hours. There is much more to learn to become a safety officer. If you are determined to shift, then only read further, please.

Industry-Specific Training for Safety Officers

From industry to industry, the training required for a safety officer is different. The job of a safety officer in construction is entirely different from that in a process industry. Similarly, safety in rigs, offshore and onshore, engineering industry, chemical industry, foundry and forging, and paper industry are all different, although safety principles are the same. All the training topics you mentioned are of no use to become a safety officer, although such training may be helpful.

Since you have no engineering background, I cannot advise you to try in Singapore. As a Safety Officer, you do not stand a chance in the USA either. Your chances are in construction in the Middle East, and the salary is far better there.

Training Options and Recommendations

If you so desire, you can undergo OSHA training online; the cost may be about 300 USD. In case you can make a trip to Kerala and spend about 2 weeks, you can complete the course under me and get the certificate card from the USA in another 3 weeks.

Another method is to study industrial safety through distance learning. In case you are unable to locate a suitable institute for this, mention it so that I may be able to help you.

Regards, Kesava Pillai

Dear Friend,

Attached, please find the topics for the OSHA 30-hour construction safety course.

Regards,
Kesava Pillai

Dear Keshava,

Can you guide me on how to become a recognized OSHA Trainer? Whom should I contact, and what is the forward path? I request your help if you can.

Regards

Dear Neerajdubey, it is not difficult. Just search "OSHA Trainer courses" and you will get all the information. There are two different courses: one for General Industry and the other for Construction. You have to complete prerequisite training on either OSHA 510 or 511 before enrolling in the trainer course (500 or 511, as the case may be).

Good luck.

Regards,
Kesava Pillai

Dear Kesava Pillai,

If I join OSHA Training in Kerala for 2 weeks, what is the procedure and formalities? Please let me know if it is possible to pay the fee once I get a job after completion of the training course. Please kindly guide me.

Dear Kesava Pillai,

I aspire to become a Safety Officer like you, but I don't have enough money at the moment. I am willing to do whatever it takes; please assist me in pursuing a career in OSHA. Kindly reply!