Training for collateral duty personnel

Under 1960.58, each agency must provide training to collateral duty safety and health personnel and all members of certified occupational safety and health committees within six months after October 1, 1980, or on appointment to the collateral duty or committee. See 1960.58 for the timing requirement.

• Agencies must meet the six-month deadline or supply training at the time someone is appointed to the collateral duty or committee.
• This is an initial training requirement; agencies are responsible for ensuring it happens for every covered appointee.

Under 1960.58, the training must include the agency occupational safety and health program; section 19 of the OSH Act; Executive Order 12196; Part 1960; agency procedures for reporting, evaluation and abatement of hazards; agency procedures for reporting and investigating allegations of reprisal; recognition of hazardous conditions and environments; identification and use of occupational safety and health standards; and other appropriate rules and regulations. See the full list in 1960.58.

• Agencies must tailor these topic areas to the duties assigned to the collateral personnel.
• "Other appropriate rules and regulations" means any additional standards or agency policies relevant to the collateral duties.

Under 1960.58, training must be matched to the actual duties and responsibilities assigned to the collateral duty person or committee member — more complex or hazardous responsibilities require more detailed training. See 1960.58.

• Determine the scope of each collateral duty (what tasks, what hazards, what decisions).
• Provide specific instruction only on the standards, agency procedures, and hazard recognition skills needed to perform those duties safely.
• If duties include technical tasks (for example, lockout/tagout oversight), include the specific related standards and practical procedures; agencies cannot rely on a generic briefing when specific hazards exist (see the lockout/tagout clarification at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2012-04-03 for related guidance on when standards and agency obligations still apply).

Under 1960.58, collateral duty first-aiders and AED team members must receive training appropriate to their assigned responsibilities, including any procedures for responding to workplace injuries. See 1960.58.

• Training should cover when and how to render first aid, safe work practices, and reporting procedures.
• Regarding hepatitis B vaccination, OSHA enforcement policy provides a limited exception for employees whose only expected contact with blood is as a collateral-duty first aider responding exclusively to workplace incidents; in that case employers would not be cited for delaying HBV vaccination if certain conditions are met (see OSHA's interpretation on HBV vaccination for first aiders at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2000-11-01).

Under 1960.58, all members of certified occupational safety and health committees must receive training commensurate with the scope of their committee responsibilities. See 1960.58.

• Certification is typically an agency designation; the standard requires training for committee members once that committee is certified.
• Training should enable committee members to participate effectively in hazard recognition, reporting, evaluation, and abatement activities described in the agency program.

Under 1960.58, training must be provided on appointment or within the six-month timeframe; agencies should ensure appointees receive training promptly at or before starting those duties whenever possible. See 1960.58.

• Best practice is to provide required training before the person performs duties that could expose them or others to hazards.
• If immediate start is unavoidable, agencies must ensure training is provided as soon as practicable and is commensurate with the immediate responsibilities.

Under 1960.58, the standard requires initial training on appointment or within six months but does not specify a required refresher schedule; agencies should provide refresher or additional training whenever duties, procedures, or hazards change, or as determined necessary to maintain competence. See 1960.58.

• Agencies should document training needs and set agency-specific refresher intervals based on risk, complexity of duties, and regulatory requirements.
• For certain hazards or programs (for example, asbestos awareness or bloodborne pathogens), other OSHA standards may require annual or periodic training — agencies must follow those standards in addition to 1960.58 (see the asbestos awareness guidance at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2006-01-17-0).

Under 1960.58, the agency is responsible for ensuring the training is provided to its collateral duty personnel and committee members, but the agency may use qualified internal or external trainers to deliver instruction as long as the agency retains responsibility for meeting the training requirements. See 1960.58.

• If the agency contracts the training, it must ensure the contractor's content meets the scope-of-responsibility requirement.
• For contractor employees working in federal workplaces, their employer is responsible for training those contract employees in required topics (see asbestos awareness guidance, https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2006-01-17-0).

Under 1960.58, the standard requires agencies to provide the training but does not prescribe exact recordkeeping requirements for those trainings; agencies should nevertheless maintain training records that document who was trained, the date, topics covered, trainer name, and any certificates to demonstrate compliance with the requirement. See 1960.58 and general program requirements under 1960.

• Records should be sufficient to show that an employee received training ‘‘commensurate with the scope of their assigned responsibilities.’’
• If other OSHA standards apply (for example, bloodborne pathogens, asbestos, or HAZWOPER), follow those standards’ specific recordkeeping rules in addition to agency documentation practices.

Under 1960.58, the training requirement applies to collateral duty safety and health personnel and certified committee members who are federal agency employees; contractor employees are covered by their employer's obligations under OSHA standards and should receive training from their employer as required. See 1960.58 and the asbestos awareness interpretation which clarifies that contract employees must receive training from their employer (https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2006-01-17-0).

• If contractors perform collateral duties as part of their contract, their employer must provide the appropriate training under applicable OSHA standards.
• Agencies should ensure contractor training is adequate when contractors work alongside federal employees in the same workplace.

Under 1960.58 and related provisions of Part 1960, an agency may apply alternate standards or procedures where necessary, but an agency must follow the alternate standards process in 29 CFR 1960.17 and, where required, obtain the Secretary of Labor’s approval before implementing an alternate standard. See 1960 and the hexavalent chromium interpretation which references alternate-standard procedures (https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2019-04-19).

• Agencies should document why the alternate training is at least as protective as the cited requirements and follow the approval procedures in 1960.17 when necessary.
• Until approval is granted, agencies should comply with the training topics listed in 1960.58.

Under 1960.58, yes — training must include the agency procedures for reporting and investigating allegations of reprisal as part of the required curriculum. See 1960.58.

• Agencies should explain how employees can report reprisal, the steps of the agency’s investigation process, and protections against retaliation.
• Training should reflect enforcement and investigative practices, and agencies should be aware of related OSHA guidance on employee reporting procedures and anti‑retaliation enforcement (see the recordkeeping and employee reporting guidance at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2016-11-10).

Under 1960.58, training must include recognition of hazardous conditions and environments, so where oxygen-deficient atmospheres are a potential hazard, training should cover their recognition and appropriate response measures. See 1960.58.

• For civilian employees covered by OSHA standards, training and procedures should be consistent with OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard and guidance addressing oxygen-deficient atmospheres (see OSHA’s interpretation on oxygen‑deficient atmospheres at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-07-16).
• Agencies should ensure training covers detection methods, evacuation or rescue procedures, and required respiratory or breathing-air protections when applicable.

Under 1960.58, the agency assigning the collateral duty — typically the appointing official or supervisor — determines the scope of responsibilities and therefore which technical standards and detailed training are required; training must then be commensurate with those duties. See 1960.58.

• If the collateral duty involves tasks covered by specific OSHA standards (e.g., lockout/tagout or HAZWOPER), training must include the applicable standard elements.
• Agencies should consult OSHA interpretations for nuances about how other standards apply in federal settings (for example, lockout/tagout issues in federal laboratories: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2012-04-03 and HAZWOPER applicability: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2010-02-22).

Under 1960.58, if a collateral duty’s responsibilities change, the agency must update training so it remains commensurate with the new scope of responsibilities. See 1960.58.

• Provide focused supplemental or refresher training covering new procedures, standards, or hazard recognition related to the changed duties.
• Document the additional training and the reasons for it in the agency’s training records.

Under 1960.58, training must include identification and use of occupational safety and health standards and other appropriate rules and regulations so collateral duty personnel know which standards apply and how to use them. See 1960.58.

• Training should show where to find the relevant standards, how to interpret key provisions for the duties assigned, and how to apply agency procedures in light of those standards.
• When specific standards have additional training requirements (for example, asbestos or bloodborne pathogens), ensure the collateral personnel receive any mandated topic-level or frequency-specific instruction (see asbestos awareness: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2006-01-17-0).

Under 1960.58, yes — the training must include agency procedures for the reporting, evaluation, and abatement of hazards so collateral duty personnel can carry out those responsibilities effectively. See 1960.58.

• Training should include how to report hazards, how hazards are evaluated (who or what offices perform evaluations), and how abatement actions are tracked and verified.
• Training should also explain how hazard evaluation ties into other agency programs and any timelines for abatement.

Under 1960.58, training on "this part" (Part 1960) and "section 19 of the Act" means providing collateral duty personnel with an understanding of the Federal employee safety program framework and the agency responsibilities established by Section 19 of the OSH Act so they can operate within that regulatory framework. See 1960.58 and the Part 1960 overview at 1960.

• Practical training should explain the agency’s OSH program elements, who is responsible for what, and the legal basis for the agency’s obligations under Section 19.
• This high-level context helps collateral personnel understand why agency procedures and standards must be followed.

Under 1960.58, agencies must provide required training, but when assessing hazards or abatement feasibility OSHA may refer to recognized industry standards as evidence of hazard recognition or feasible abatement methods; OSHA does not adopt ANSI or industry standards as regulatory text unless they have been incorporated, but they can support enforcement decisions. See 1960.58 and OSHA’s interpretation on ANSI window cleaning guidance (https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2005-03-28-0).

• Training can include industry consensus practices where appropriate, but agencies must still meet their regulatory obligations under Part 1960 and applicable OSHA standards.
• If a hazard is not covered by an OSHA standard, an agency may still be cited under Section 5(a)(1) equivalent (1960.8) and ANSI standards may be used to show feasible abatement.

Under 1960.58, agencies must include general training topics listed in the standard and must also ensure collateral duty training incorporates any additional specific training required by other OSHA standards that apply to the duties (for example, Bloodborne Pathogens or Asbestos). See 1960.58 and OSHA interpretations on asbestos awareness (https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2006-01-17-0) and bloodborne pathogens/HBV policy (https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2000-11-01).

• If a collateral duty involves tasks covered by a specific standard (e.g., cleaning tasks in areas with ACM), ensure the training meets that standard’s content and frequency requirements.
• Agencies should cross-reference Part 1960 training with the requirements of the technical standards to avoid gaps in protection.