There are not very many OSHA standards that call out the “trainer qualification(s)” for those who teach on the subject matter, but the HAZWOPER standard does. When a trainer uses the phrase HAZWOPER over and over but does not recognize this is an acronymn that stands for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, has no emergency response background, and/or has never received training themseleves on the subject matters that make up a 24-hour/40-hour course content… WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM!
This week the DOJ announced an OSHA 10-hr Trainer was selling fake 10-hr cards for $200/each and he had sold well over 100 cards. This is a FRAUD on both ends (the seller and buyer) and everyone needs to be held accountable. But some of these “fly-by-night” training outfits commit a fraud on many businesses when they claim to be qualified to conduct emergency response training for the business and they “can do it for much less”. OSHA’s HAZWOPER standard, 1910.120(q)(7), clear states (emphasis by me):