Which OSHA trainings repeat, and how often?
| Topic | When the paragraph calls for training | 29 CFR |
|---|---|---|
| Hazard communication | At initial assignment, and whenever a new chemical hazard they have not been trained about is introduced into their work area | 1910.1200(h)(1) |
| Forklift operator | Training completed before operating; performance evaluation at least once every three years | 1910.178(l)(1)(ii), (l)(4)(iii); construction through 1926.602(d) |
| Portable fire extinguisher use | Upon initial employment and at least annually thereafter | 1910.157(g)(1), (g)(2) |
| Respirator use | Retraining annually, and when changes, inadequacies or other situations make it necessary | 1910.134(k)(5) |
| Bloodborne pathogens | At the time of initial assignment to tasks with occupational exposure, and at least annually thereafter | 1910.1030(g)(2)(ii) |
| Hearing conservation | Repeated annually | 1910.95(k)(2) |
| Lockout/tagout | Retraining when job assignments, machines, equipment, processes or energy control procedures change | 1910.147(c)(7)(iii)(A); certification (c)(7)(iv) |
| Personal protective equipment | Before work requiring PPE; retraining when the workplace or the PPE changes, or the employee has not retained the understanding or skill | 1910.132(f)(2), (f)(3) |
| Permit-required confined spaces | Before first assigned duties, before a change in duties, when operations change, and on deviations or inadequacies | 1910.146(g)(2) |
| Emergency action plan review | When the plan is developed or the employee is first assigned, when the employee's responsibilities change, and when the plan changes | 1910.38(f) |
| Fall protection | Training program for each such employee, with a written certification record; retraining when the employer has reason to believe it is needed | 1926.503(a)(1), (b)(1), (c) |
| Ladders and stairways | Training program given by a competent person | 1926.1060(a) |
| Recognizing and avoiding unsafe conditions | Instruction in the unsafe conditions and the regulations that apply to the work | 1926.21(b)(2) |
The OSHA training requirements page covers the standards beyond these thirteen, and the training requirements guide goes standard by standard.
How to fill in the matrix
- List your people. One row per employee, with the job title and the hire date.
- Mark what applies. Write n/a in the columns that don't apply to the job: a roofer outside the hearing conservation program writes n/a in that column.
- Enter completion dates. The date the training or the evaluation was done, from the sign-in sheet or the certificate.
- Read the Next due tab. Annual topics move 12 months ahead and the forklift evaluation 36 months; the past due count flags anyone behind.
- Watch the events. A new chemical, a new machine, a change in duties or a near miss can call for training on any day; the Topics tab says which events count for each standard.
Training records some standards ask for
A matrix is not a training record: it points to one. Some standards set what the record holds. Lockout training is certified with each employee's name and dates of training (29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)(iv)); forklift operators get a certification naming them, the training and evaluation dates and the trainer or evaluator (1910.178(l)(6)); construction fall protection training is verified by a written certification record with the employee, the dates and the signature of the trainer or the employer (1926.503(b)(1)). Bloodborne pathogens training records are kept 3 years from the date of the training (1910.1030(h)(2)(ii)). The free training sign-in sheet collects those details in the room, and the article on what a complete training sign-in record shows explains what inspectors look for.
Is HazCom training annual?
No. Hazard communication training happens at the time of initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard the employees have not previously been trained about is introduced into their work area (29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1)). The 2024 update of the standard changes labels and safety data sheets, and the article on HCS 2024 retraining covers what that means for your training plan.
What OSHA cited most on construction training in FY2025
| Paragraph | What it covers | FY2025 citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1926.503(a)(1) | Construction: fall protection training for each employee exposed to fall hazards | 1,945 |
| 1926.503(b)(1) | Construction: written certification record of fall protection training | 1,278 |
| 1926.503(c)(3) | Construction: retraining when knowledge or use of fall protection is inadequate | 131 |
| 1926.503(a)(2) | Construction: training by a competent person in the listed areas | 86 |
| 1926.503(a)(2)(ii) | Construction: procedures for erecting, maintaining, disassembling and inspecting fall protection | 21 |
| 1926.503(c) | Construction: retraining when the employer has reason to believe it is needed | 21 |
| 1926.21(b)(2) | Construction: instruction in recognizing and avoiding unsafe conditions | 545 |
| 1926.21(b)(1) | Construction: use of the training programs the Secretary provides | 5 |
| 1926.21(b)(3) | Construction: instruction on poisons, caustics and other harmful substances | 2 |
| 1926.21(b)(5) | Construction: instruction on flammable liquids, gases and toxic materials | 2 |
| 1926.21(b)(6)(i) | Former paragraph, removed from the standard in 2015, still in FY2025 citation data | 1 |
| 1926.21(a) | Training programs run by the Secretary | 1 |
1926.503: 3,519 citations in FY2025 at 3,169 inspections, 3,447 of them at construction sites (NAICS 23). 1926.21: 556 citations in FY2025 at 551 inspections, 488 of them at construction sites (NAICS 23). Citation items issued Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025, counted by HazComFast on U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data (extracted Oct 13, 2026). Inspected establishments, not the whole industry.
Questions about training matrices
Does OSHA require a training matrix?
No. OSHA has no rule for a matrix. Each standard has its own training paragraph saying who is trained and when, and a few ask for a written certification with set contents, such as 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6) for forklift operators and 1926.503(b)(1) for fall protection in construction. A matrix is the employer's way of keeping all of them in view.
Which OSHA trainings must be repeated every year?
Among the topics in this template: portable fire extinguisher training where extinguishers are provided for employee use, upon initial employment and at least annually (29 CFR 1910.157(g)(2)); respirator retraining annually (1910.134(k)(5)); bloodborne pathogens training at least annually (1910.1030(g)(2)(ii)); and hearing conservation training repeated annually (1910.95(k)(2)).
Is HazCom training annual?
No. Hazard communication training happens at the time of initial assignment and whenever a new chemical hazard the employees have not been trained about is introduced into their work area (29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(1)). There is no annual refresher in the standard, which is why the matrix shows On event for it.
How often is forklift operator training repeated?
Each operator's performance is evaluated at least once every three years (29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(iii)), and refresher training is given when the events of 1910.178(l)(4)(ii) occur, such as an accident or a near miss. The matrix computes the evaluation due date three years after the date you enter.
How long do I keep training records?
It depends on the standard. Bloodborne pathogens training records are kept 3 years from the date of the training (29 CFR 1910.1030(h)(2)(ii)). Many training paragraphs set no retention period; keep the record as long as you may need to prove the training happened.
What does the Excel template calculate?
On the Next due tab, it adds 12 months to the dates of the annual topics and 36 months to the forklift evaluation, and counts how many due dates have passed for each employee. Every other topic reads On event, because its paragraph names events, not an interval.
Sources and verification
- 29 CFR 1910.1200, Hazard communication
- 29 CFR 1910.178, Powered industrial trucks
- 29 CFR 1910.1030, Bloodborne pathogens
- 29 CFR 1926.503, Fall protection training requirements
Verified against the eCFR on Oct 20, 2026 (title 29 current to Oct 16, 2026). State Plan states enforce their own standards, which may go further than the federal ones. Not legal advice.
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