Fraudulent New York OSHA Credentials on the Rise!

In a disappointing, if not shocking, recent discovery as reported by the New York Daily News, fraudulent Occupational and Safety Health Act credentials have surfaced at a New York City jobsite. This revelation came days after the city of New York increased the amount of mandatory training for workers on construction sites, and months after a sham of a training course was discovered by an undercover reporter in the Bronx. Many safety officials fear that obtaining fake credentials and marketing bogus training courses might mark a dangerous trend now that New York and other states have begun raising the amount of mandatory worker safety training.

This latest instance of fraud was uncovered during a routine inspection of a jobsite in New York. Carpenter's union inspectors discovered that one of the workers was in possession of a fake card bearing the official logo of the U.S. Department of Labor. The worker claimed that the card was given to him by a foreman without ever having to attend any OSHA compliant training.
In the earlier case of the phony training course, certified instructors at least made a token show of offering a course. They offered it in a room above a Bronx bar. The entire course, which according to OSHA standards was supposed to last no less than ten hours, lasted barely more than two hours. During the two hours "training" the students were allowed to take frequent breaks in order to walk downstairs and purchase beer. At the end of the two hours, students were given what they were told were temporary cards and told to expect their official cards from the U.S. Department of Labor in about six weeks.
Perhaps every bit as troubled by the rise of fraudulent credentials as OSHA itself, operators of legitimate and respected training providers were disturbed by the news. Roger Oldham of OSHA Campus Online, a provider of a variety of OSHA compliant courses including the 10-Hour certification involved in both the fraudulent New York incidents, agreed that it was a upsetting prospect for all concerned.
Asked how legitimate training providers might react to the latest news he said, "They [the workers] know they need the right course in order to keep working. They trust us, and it's up to us to reassure them that they are taking the right course." In advice to fellow legitimate providers on how to deal with the current proliferation of fake credentials and restore worker confidence, Oldham said, "I think professionalism on our part is another reason to buy from us and stay away from these fly-by-night operations."
As if this latest news isn't disturbing enough, OSHA officials confirm that there have also been instances of certification fraud in the state of Nevada. In an effort to combat the fake credentials OSHA is planning on increasing their vigilance and prosecution of violators nationwide. Already more than 25 classes are being investigated, four instructors have been suspended, and one device used in the forging of counterfeit cards has been confiscated.