Mistakes to Avoid When Buying OSHA 10 & 30-Hour Training
The online marketplace for OSHA 10-Hour and OSHA 30-Hour training is highly competitive. OSHA’s Outreach Training Program has grown to train millions of workers annually, thanks to the proliferation of online course providers. Today, it is a big business, and one that rewards the well-informed consumer. Here is a list of important considerations when purchasing 10 and 30-Hour online courses, to help buyers sidestep fraud, poor product experiences, and get the right training needed, with confidence.
UNUSUALLY LOW PRICES
Sadly, it is no longer uncommon to see an ad for OSHA 10 or 30-Hour online courses offered for $25, far below the market averages for this product series. Buyers seeking only the lowest product price are too often tempted by such advertisements, and fall victim to unethical speculators. These impulse consumers are missing important context about the nature of the Outreach Training Program, and its curriculum.
Commonly reported problems are failure to access any sort of training experience post-purchase, delivery of inauthentic “safety cards”, numerous technical issues, theft of credit card information, and total inability to contact the vendor. Remember the old maxim of the savvy consumer: ‘if it looks too good to be true, it probably is’.
BUYING THE WRONG COURSE
One of the most common mistakes when purchasing the OSHA 10 or 30-Hour training experience, is one of self-education. Many buyer’s fail to understand the nuances between the different types of Outreach Training Program available for purchase, and end up buying the wrong product. There’s a lot to know, and some online providers contribute to the problem by not offering clear guidance to buyers before purchase, helping to identify the right training for industry and setting.
It is not uncommon for first-time buyers to complete an entire 10 hours of training, pass the exam, only to realize they will be getting the wrong card in the mail. Or, start the wrong training experience and have to work through customer service to receive a refund, before being provided the correct course for their needs, only to start all over again after paying once more.
OSHA-AUTHORIZATION
Whether buying for the individual or obtaining training for a group of employees, ensuring training authenticity is paramount in a crowded marketplace. Thankfully, this is easy to do. OSHA offers a list of authorized online Outreach Training Program providers. OSHA requires that all online 10 and 30-Hour providers meet certain standards to ensure the integrity of 10 and 30-Hour curriculum. Providers like ClickSafety work directly with a designated OSHA Training Institute (OTI) which is overseen by OSHA.
SERVICE & SUPPORT MATTER
The best 10 & 30-Hour training programs make the experience simple and straightforward, from the time of registration and purchase, to launching the course experience, working through the different topics, and completing the exam. However, there are a lot of systems at play behind the scenes.
Be sure to purchase online OSHA 10 & 30-Hour training from a provider that offers fast technical assistance, and is available for support throughout the training. Look for a dedicated, toll-free customer service number. Consider how long the provider has been offering the product, and its years in business. Are technical specifications clearly communicated and available? Do they offer frequently asked questions (FAQs)? How many students are successfully served annually? These are all important signals of customer satisfaction with the buying, training, and card-fulfillment experience.
SECURE PURCHASING PORTALS
Here is a tip to help identify providers that have taken measures to protect the purchasing experience and sensitive customer information.
When entering a purchase portal or “shopping cart”, look for the SSL (secure-socket layer) icon in the address bar. This is the small icon resembling a traditional padlock. When present, this means that the data shared with the provider is encrypted for a safe exchange of information between the buyer and vendor. It is a standard, minimum requirement for cybersecurity. Unsecure portals are out there and are bad news. Also, don’t forget the fundamentals: does this website have a written security and privacy policy?
HARD CARDS
As of 2019, paper DOL-OSHA cards are a thing of the past...or should be. OSHA began its effort to phase out the old, familiar paper cards in 2016, and plastic cards are now available to any student. However, these new cards cost training vendors approximately $8 dollars to produce; for that reason, not every provider has made the switch. Meaning, that some buyers may unwittingly be paying market average prices for 10-Hour or 30-Hour training and receiving a lesser product in the mail. Be wary of providers that do not offer these new OSHA ‘hard cards’. The benefits of the plastic card includes fraud reduction, durability, and a QR code, for fast authentication. They’re generally harder to lose, won’t break down in a wallet like the paper cards, and now align with technology. If you purchase your OSHA 10 or 30-Hour training from ClickSafety, you will receive a certificate of completion when you pass the course and your official DOL plastic card will be shipped within two weeks.
Serving managers, supervisors, and environmental safety and health professionals across General Industry and Construction, OSHA’s Outreach Training Program offers employees and employers alike a well-rounded, standardized occupational safety curriculum. ClickSafety was the nation’s first OSHA-Authorized provider of online Outreach Training Program courses. ClickSafety has over 20 years of experience delivering occupational safety training, with more than 10,000 satisfied customers and 8 million courses administered worldwide.