When EHS audits occur, whether planned or unannounced, being able to quickly produce comprehensive, real-time data limits disruption and demonstrates a proactive approach to risk management.
Employers that keep up-to-date and accurate training records can successfully prove to regulators that their employees are competent and prepared. In this blog, we’ll tackle everything you need to know about managing training records to stay audit-ready, including who needs training records, the benefits of managing them well and their contents.
Safety training records serve as the main evidence of employee competency. For this reason, management should keep training records for anyone involved with the organization, including full-time employees, part-time employees, contractors, seasonal workers and temporary workers. This helps prevent gaps in compliance and ensures accountability at every level of the workforce.
When an incident occurs, one of the first steps in the investigation process is to determine whether all involved employees were properly trained for the task at hand. Accurate, accessible training records help investigators quickly confirm who received what training and when.
If a gap is identified, such as an expired certification or missing training, it may point to a root cause or contributing factor to the incident. This information is critical for understanding what went wrong, reporting the relevant information to regulatory bodies and developing targeted corrective actions.
Requirements for how long you should update and keep training records vary depending on the regulatory body and specific standard.
In general, U.K. organizations under HSE regulation are recommended to keep training records for at least 5 years, or as long as an employee is working with the organization. Safety certification logs must also be updated and reviewed every 6 months, with assessment results and certifications updated upon completion. Consult your specific regulations for more information.
OSHA’s training record keeping requirements vary, with each standard outlining specific retention timelines. Examples include the following:
1910.120 Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response: Minimum of 5 years after training completion date.
1910.217 Mechanical Power Presses: The full duration of employment.
1910.268 Telecommunications: The full duration of employment.
1910.1001 Asbestos: One year after an employee’s last working date.
1910.1030 Bloodborne Pathogens: Three years after training completion date.
1915.89 Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tags-Plus): Until replaced by updated certification records.
1915.508 Fire Protection in Shipyard Employment: One year from training completion date or until it is replaced by a new certification (whichever comes first).
1926.60 Methylenedianiline: One year after an employee’s last working date.
This is not a complete list of record retention periods. For a complete list and to see requirements for specific standards, click here or consult the relevant regulation.
While the required contents of safety training records can vary by standard, most regulatory bodies expect the following details to be kept on file:
Name of employee
Name, title and qualifications of instructor
Date
Length of training
Content
Format (video, in person, digital, remote instructor, etc.)
Evaluation results
Employers must demonstrate to regulators that their workers are properly trained against potential workplace hazards and are capable of employing best practices for health and safety. If companies can’t provide accurate training records, regulators performing an audit or inspection may issue a citation or impose a fine. Keeping accurate and organized training records streamlines this process and allows an organization to stay audit-ready.
Well-maintained records make it easy for employers and employees to identify which individuals have been trained for certain tasks. Having this information reduces the likelihood that someone will be assigned a task they aren’t properly trained for. Employers can also easily find replacement workers among those who have completed the necessary training.
Additionally, keeping up-to-date training records ensures that employees receive the most recent training for their roles. For example, if a machine is replaced, safety training records can be checked to ensure that the training covers the potential hazards involved in operating the new machine. If the original training doesn’t apply, new training can be carried out.
Compiling, reviewing and submitting records for regulatory EHS inspections or audits can be tedious. Keeping accurate training records streamlines this process and reduces the need for regulators to request additional information. This cuts back on the time spent managing the inspection process and frees up time to be spent developing safety initiatives.
Manual record keeping, whether through paper files or spreadsheets, can quickly become unmanageable, especially as organizations grow or operate across multiple locations. Digitizing your training records centralizes all training data in one system, making it easier to manage, access and update information in real time. With a digital record-keeping solution, EHS professionals can:
Instantly verify who has completed required training
Track certification expiration dates
Identify compliance gaps without manual follow-up
Generate reports for audits or inspections with a few clicks
A digital system improves consistency across departments and sites to help organizations maintain audit readiness and reduce the risk of noncompliance. Most importantly, it frees up your EHS teams to focus on proactive, high-impact work, rather than spending hours compiling training logs.
How Evotix Helps
Simplify training management with an efficient digital process. Stay confident you have accurate records for when they matter most. Learn more about our safety training management solution and book a demo today!