The Safety Certification Boondoggle

Up here at the Old Place, we value a person's experience and abilities. We never ask for certifications and only occasionally a license or badge. Perhaps we are too trusting, but since we all open carry, there is little incentive for rascalry.  Today, the ole colonel has a question: how many of you folks have a license or a certification? We pretty much all have a driver's license and some of us, myself included, are certainly certifiable. Okay, okay. No, what I am asking about are professional licenses and certifications. With the exception of medical and legal personnel, as well as engineers and architects most so-called "certifications" are based on achieving a certain score on a test given by the certifying company. Some certifications do require the candidate to have completed certain prerequisites before they are allowed to take the test: a certain level of education (GPA usually does not matter nor does the major), number of years experience (again, it usually does not matter in which profession that experience was gained) and in some cases an additional certification. Take safety for example. There are no fewer than a dozen "certifications" from an equal number of companies. Some of these companies are themselves, "certified" to provide these certifications, by some other company. Many however are mere "certification mills." Keep in mind, the only oversight is provided by the certifying certifier. Okay, Col. Jim, so What's It Got to do with Safety?

Back around the turn of the century, I taught the Basic Orientation Plus (BOP) over at the Safety Council.  BOP is a six-hour safety course required for everyone who wants to work in our local chemical and refining industries. One day a genuine, no-foolin' Certified Safety Professional (CSP) showed up. He was not happy and had complained to several plant managers and our own CEO. He demanded that he be allowed to just take the test. After being told no, he grudgingly paid up and sat down. He so disrupted the class with his questions and opinions, that I pulled him aside during the first break. Rather than berate him for his rudeness and insensitivity to his fellow students, I offered him a suggestion. Stay for the class, take the test, I could not change that, then write a critique, including all the incorrect information he noticed and send it to me in an email. Guess what?  He shut up, copiously took notes, passed the test with an 80% and yep; he emailed me his notes.  He found 39 errors in the BOP presentation. 

So, what does all this say about Mr. CSP?  Is he a rude jerk. . . pretty much. Could he run a safety program? Maybe. Does being able to pass the toughest safety certification test there is mean you will make a great safetyman? Well, it means nothing, except that he could pass a test.  Oh, are you wondering how many of the 39 errors he was right about, not even one . . . not even one.

Sitting in a rocker at the Old Place I am, Col. Jim