Florida OSHA Training Online
Before OSHA, few government regulations existed to protect workers from job site hazards in the United States. In the nearly fifty years since it was established, OSHA has made great strides towards protecting workers in every state, including Florida. Their standards prevent thousands of workplace injuries and illnesses a year.
OSHA Florida rules can be confusing, though. The language is complicated, the standards vary by industry, and different states have different rules about required training. Below, we'll help you understand OSHA standards in Florida: federal and state training requirements, how to get authorized training, and why training is important for all Floridians (but especially construction workers!)
OSHA Training Requirements in Florida
Florida doesn't have its own state-level occupational safety and health program. Instead, Floridians fall under federal protection, which impacts most private-sector workers.
OSHA Florida requires workers to be trained on specific safety topics. They also provide recommendations for what they call "Outreach" courses—these are the 10-hour and 30-hour OSHA classes that are often referred to as "DOL card" classes. OSHA doesn't require Outreach training, and neither does the state of Florida.
Miami-Dade County, however, requires construction workers to earn their DOL card before they can be hired on certain projects. If you want to work on any private or public contract in the county valued at over $1 million, you need a 10-Hour Construction DOL Card obtained within the last 5 years (§ 2-11.17). That means completing OSHA Outreach 10-Hour Construction training from an OSHA-authorized provider.
Even in the rest of the state where OSHA Outreach training isn't mandatory, many employers will require it. Outreach training often covers required OSHA training topics for your industry, so it provides a good orientation to workplace safety. Workers typically need 10-hour training, while supervisors need to complete 30-hour training.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OSHA 10-HOUR AND 30-HOUR COURSES
We offer OSHA 10-Hour Construction, OSHA 30-Hour Construction, OSHA 10-Hour General Industry, and OSHA 30-Hour General Industry to meet your OSHA training needs.
Not sure where to start? Read our guide.
Benefits of OSHA Training for Workers in Florida
OSHA Florida requires safety training because it helps increase employees' awareness of workplace hazards and how to avoid them. That's one of the ways they prevent fatalities and accidents.
Employers in Florida can also see financial benefits from investing in OSHA training. That includes:
- Avoiding penalties from OSHA inspections
- Reducing workers' compensation burdens
- Increasing productivity and financial performance
But nothing illustrates these benefits like hard numbers—workplace injury statistics and enforcement penalties tell the true story about the cost of unsafe job sites. Training costs are a small price by comparison, when it means preventing fatalities, accidents, and fines.
Fatal Occupational Injuries in Florida
Florida experienced 299 fatal occupational injuries or illnesses in 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The country as a whole experienced 5,147.
Of the 299 fatalities in Florida:
- 107 were the result of transportation incidents
- 62 were the result of falls, slips, and trips
- 48 were the result of exposure to harmful substances or environments
- 43 were the result of violence and other injuries by persons or animals
- 31 were the result of contact with objects and equipment
- 7 were the result of fires and explosions
Construction-Related Fatal Occupational Injuries
The industry with the highest number of work fatalities in the state was construction.
In 2017, there were 75 fatal occupational injuries within the private construction industry. Specifically:
- 19 in heavy and civil engineering construction
- 22 foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors
- 14 building equipment contractors
- 6 building finishing contractors
- 7 other specialty trade contractors
Construction and extraction occupations saw 63 fatalities:
- 4 supervisors of construction and extraction workers
- 22 construction laborers
- 8 electricians
- 8 roofers
- 4 carpenters
- 4 painters and paperhangers
- 4 construction equipment operators
- 6 other construction trades workers
2019 Top OSHA Enforcement Cases in Florida
As you can see, Florida workers are at risk for serious injury and accidents (especially in construction). And Florida employers are at risk of OSHA inspections and high enforcement penalties.
To give you a sense of how painful those penalties can be, here are a list of top Florida enforcement cases from 2019. You can find up-to-date penalty cases on OSHA's website.
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| State | Inspection Number | Employer | City | Issuance Date | Initial Penalty |
| FL | 1364828.015 | Hiebert Bros. Construction, LLC | GAINESVILLE | 03/26/2019 | $56,828.00 |
| FL | 1357881.015 | PDKN Restaurant Group | FORT LAUDERDALE | 03/07/2019 | $41,876.00 |
| FL | 1360490.015 | Stancel Concrete Incorporated | NAPLES | 03/05/2019 | $55,692.00 |
| FL | 1342888.015 | PCL Construction Services, Inc. | ORLANDO | 02/28/2019 | $144,532.00 |
| FL | 1343074.015 | The Higgins Group Corp. | MIAMI | 02/27/2019 | $59,670.00 |
| FL | 1350711.015 | Plenums of Florida, Inc. | PINELLAS PARK | 02/14/2019 | $61,260.00 |
| FL | 1367955.015 | Turnkey Construction Planners, Inc. | PALM COAST | 02/08/2019 | $51,198.00 |
| FL | 1337525.015 | Crown Roofing, LLC | PORT SAINT LUCIE | 02/07/2019 | $132,598.00 |
| FL | 1354150.015 | Crown Roofing, LLC | NAPLES | 02/07/2019 | $132,598.00 |
| FL | 1338125.015 | U.S. Postal Service | JACKSONVILLE | 01/24/2019 | $129,336.00 |
| FL | 1335632.015 | Brad McDonald Roofing & Construction, Inc. | ODESSA | 01/07/2019 | $49,796.00 |
Federal OSHA Offices in Florida
Because Floridians fall under federal jurisdiction, OSHA maintains three local area offices in major cities throughout the state of Florida:
- Fort Lauderdale
- Jacksonville
- Tampa
You can find contact information for local offices on OSHA's website, if you need to reach out for any reason.
Additional Florida Resources for Safety Information
There are many additional sources of information on workplace safety in Florida. Check the state agency and association websites below for more resources.
Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO): The Florida DEO manages workforce services for employers and job seekers. That includes enforcing labor law, providing job search help, and managing reemployment assistance insurance (ie, unemployment claims).
Florida Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC): The DWC doesn't manage workers' compensation claims directly, but it acts as a resource to assist injured workers, employers, health care providers, and insurers navigating the law. It's an important resource when someone is injured in the workplace.
Florida Employer Workplace Safety Credit Program: Employers who certify that they have a qualified Safety Program in place are eligible to receive a 2% premium credit from their insurance company. You can find the application to enter the program here.
Florida Department of Health Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP): The OHSP has an occupational safety surveillance program that gathers data on work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths.
University of South Florida (USF) SafetyFlorida: The SafetyFlorida program out of USF provides safety consultation services to small, high hazard, private sector employers. Consultations are free and confidential.
University of Florida (UF)'s Occupational Safety Program: This UF program provides resources and eTools for assessing and improving workplace safety. That includes a section on Construction Safety Resources.
The Deep South Center for Occupational Health & Safety (DSC): The DSC is a research and outreach center serving Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, and the panhandle of Florida. It's a partnership between the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Auburn University.
Enroll Now in OSHA Florida Training Courses
Hopefully, you understand now that OSHA Florida training is important to the safety and well-being of Floridians – be they workers, supervisors, or employers. But where do you go for OSHA training?
We've been an OSHA-authorized training provider for over 20 years. We offer an entire suite of online courses, including OSHA 10-Hour Construction, OSHA 30-Hour Construction, OSHA 10-Hour General Industry, and OSHA 30-Hour General Industry. We also have single-topic courses to satisfy your OSHA compliance needs.
Online training is convenient, effective, and more cost-efficient. You can access your training on any device, whenever you have time. Enroll today to learn at your own pace!
