NEWSWATCH​

OSHA Seeks to Reduce Fraud with Revamped Outreach Trainer and Student Cards

In mid-January, OSHA announced the introduction of new cards for trainers and students who participate in the agency’s Outreach Training Program. OSHA’s announcement comes a few months after media reports of an increasing number of arrests of New York City construction workers accused of possessing fake training cards (see coverage from the New York Daily News). The new training completion cards, which OSHA says are intended to reduce fraud and improve efficiency, will be made of more durable card stock with authorizing logos, a watermark when copied, and a QR code for authentication. New cards for trainers will include trainer name, ID number, expiration date, and the OSHA​ Training Institute (OTI) Education Center where the trainer was authorized, while student cards will include student name, trainer name, date of issue, and the OTI Education Center that produced the card. OSHA states that the cards’ more durable stock will be more difficult to copy. The agency expects that the verifiable information on each worker card, which will include ways to contact the trainer who conducted the course, will further reduce fraud. According to OSHA, trainers and students could expect to see the new cards after Feb. 29. For more information, see OSHA’s press release.