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Home›Courses›Safety Training›Orientation: Safety in the Workplace

Orientation: Safety in the Workplace

19 minutesEN / ES / MLCCSafety TrainingOSH Act Section 5(a)(1) - General Duty Clause; Multiple OSHA Training Standards
Quick Answer

Orientation: Safety in the Workplace is a 19-minute online course that introduces employees to fundamental OSHA safety concepts, worker rights and employer responsibilities, common workplace hazards, and basic safety procedures. It is designed for new hires across all industries as part of their initial safety orientation and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

Federal law requires every employer to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA establishes and enforces workplace safety standards that protect approximately 130 million workers at more than 8 million worksites across the country. New employees face a significantly higher injury risk than experienced workers, with research showing that first-year employees are more than twice as likely to be injured on the job. Serious OSHA violations carry penalties of up to $16,550, and willful or repeated violations can reach $165,514 per citation.

This course provides your new hires with a foundational understanding of workplace safety that applies across all industries. Your employees will learn about OSHA's role in protecting workers, their rights under the OSH Act (including the right to report hazards without retaliation), common workplace hazard categories, basic personal protective equipment concepts, and the importance of following established safety procedures and reporting unsafe conditions. This course is designed to be the first safety training a new employee receives before moving into job-specific or hazard-specific training.

What You'll Learn

  • OSHA's role in workplace safety and the employer's duty to provide a safe workplace
  • Employee rights under the OSH Act - the right to a safe workplace, the right to report hazards, and whistleblower protections
  • Common workplace hazard categories - physical, chemical, biological, and ergonomic
  • Introduction to personal protective equipment (PPE) and when it is required
  • Fire safety basics and emergency evacuation procedures
  • The importance of safety data sheets (SDS) and hazard communication
  • Reporting unsafe conditions, near misses, and workplace injuries
  • Basic housekeeping and slip, trip, and fall prevention

Who Needs This Training

  • New hires at any company as part of their first-day or first-week safety orientation
  • Temporary and contract workers entering a new work environment
  • Employees transferring to a new department, facility, or job function
  • Young workers and summer employees entering the workforce for the first time
  • Supervisors responsible for conducting safety orientations for incoming employees
  • HR managers who need a standardized safety orientation module for onboarding

Regulatory Background

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the OSH Act) established OSHA and gave the agency authority to set and enforce workplace safety and health standards. Under Section 5(a)(1), known as the General Duty Clause, employers must maintain a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm. Section 5(a)(2) requires employers to comply with all applicable OSHA standards. OSHA regulations require employers to train employees on the hazards they face in their work environment, with specific training requirements appearing throughout the standards for topics such as hazard communication (29 CFR 1910.1200), PPE (29 CFR 1910.132), and emergency action plans (29 CFR 1910.38). Employees have the right to file complaints with OSHA, request inspections, and access their exposure and medical records without fear of retaliation under Section 11(c) of the OSH Act. Serious violations carry penalties of up to $16,550, while willful or repeated violations can reach $165,514.

Frequently Asked Questions

OSHA does not have a single standard requiring a general safety orientation. However, multiple OSHA standards require training on specific topics before employees are exposed to those hazards, including hazard communication (29 CFR 1910.1200), PPE (29 CFR 1910.132), fire prevention (29 CFR 1910.38-39), and many others. In practice, a safety orientation that covers these foundational topics is the most efficient way to meet these requirements and is considered a best practice endorsed by OSHA's training guidelines.
Under the OSH Act, employees have the right to a safe and healthful workplace, the right to file a complaint with OSHA about unsafe conditions, the right to request an OSHA inspection, the right to access their exposure and medical records, and the right to report safety concerns without retaliation. Section 11(c) of the OSH Act protects employees from discrimination by their employer for exercising these rights.
Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, known as the General Duty Clause, requires every employer to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. OSHA uses this clause to cite employers for hazards that are not covered by a specific OSHA standard but are recognized by the employer's industry. Serious violations of the General Duty Clause carry the same penalties as any other serious violation - up to $16,550 per citation.
Research consistently shows that new employees face significantly higher injury rates than experienced workers, with first-year employees more than twice as likely to be injured on the job. Safety orientation training reduces this risk by ensuring new hires understand basic hazard recognition, emergency procedures, reporting requirements, and the importance of following established safety protocols before they are exposed to workplace hazards. It also establishes a safety culture expectation from day one.
This course provides foundational safety knowledge that applies across all industries and job functions. It is designed as the first training module in an employee's safety education. Employers should supplement this orientation with job-specific training on the particular hazards employees will face in their role, including hazard communication, PPE selection and use, machine-specific safety procedures, and any other standards that apply to their work environment.

Part of These Training Packages

New Hire Safety Orientation

Essential safety training for every new employee

View Package Details

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Employers building comprehensive new hire orientation programs typically follow this general safety orientation with Slips, Trips and Falls for one of the most common workplace injury categories, and with Workplace Safety: Crisis Management and Emergency Planning to ensure new employees are prepared for emergency situations before they encounter them on the job.

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$24.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$24.95
10 - 24$19.95
25 - 49$17.95
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $24.95
Language

This course is available in English, Spanish, and Multi-Language CC at no additional charge.

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

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1-800-287-5942 Request a Custom Quote
$24.95
per person