Have You Been Scammed by An Uncertified Safety Instructor?

Recently on my podcast, Apolonia Rockwell, CEO of True Safety Services, recounted a harrowing conversation she had with someone (let’s call him Oliver) who had been scammed by a dubious safety instructor.

Oliver just wanted to pay for online training for PEC Basic Orientation (a.k.a., “SafeLand”). But, oops, the instructor, who wasn’t certified, took Oliver’s money, conducted the training, and disappeared without giving Oliver’s workers their cards (that confirm they’ve received training from an authorized trainer). Sure, Oliver’s team received some training, but it ended up being useless because, without the cards, they couldn’t prove they had completed the training, and therefore couldn’t legally enter their new worksite.

So Oliver phoned up Apolonia and asked, “How do I know that your company is legit?” 

It’s a valid question. Indeed, it’s a question that managers and business owners who are looking for safety training should all be asking: 

• How do I evaluate safety trainers and ensure that they’re got the right certifications and qualifications to train my workers? 

Drew Hinton, CEO of Arrow Safety, was also a guest on that podcast I mentioned. He suggested that, if the training you want to receive is OHSA-related, then you can visit this OHSA page, and search on the name of the trainer. For example, if you search on Drew’s name, you’ll see him listed as an OHSA-authorized trainer.

But what if you’re looking for training that isn’t performed by an OHSA-authorized outreach trainer? Then, I recommend—and so do my friends Apolonia and Drew—that you investigate the trainer’s qualifications before handing over your hard-earned money. 

Here are some questions you can ask related to professional certifications: 

• Is the trainer a Certified Safety Professional (CSP)? 

• Is the trainer a Certified Instructional Trainer (CIT)? 

And if you’re getting specific training, you can ask questions such as: 

• The trainer is going to teach my workers about hazardous materials—has he/she taken HAZMAT training? 

• The trainer is going to teach my workers about personal protective equipment—has he/she taken PPE training? 

I hope this article was helpful! Be sure to check out my full conversation with Apolonia Rockwell and Drew Hinton.

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This episode was produced by Story On Media & Marketing: https://www.successwithstories.com.