Fake HAZWOPER Certifications & the Legal Action to be Taken
Ever since the big oil spill disaster at the Gulf of Mexico
, there has been a dramatic surge in the requirements and demand for skilled oil spill workers. However, these workers are required to be HAZWOPER certified. And wherever there is a demand in the market, there are scammers! With the increase in the number of organizations giving out legal HAZWOPER certificates to workers for the oil spill clean up efforts, there has also been a sudden increase in the number of fraudulent organizations that either give out fake certificates or over charge their students.
There have been many complaints about companies that offer free emergency response trainings for the oil spill efforts but have withheld the certificates from their students unless a large fee was paid. In many other cases, students and applicants who underwent the trainings were guaranteed jobs at the start of the course but by the end of it, they all found themselves unemployed and desperate.
It is common knowledge that when disasters strike, fraud will always follow close behind. There is no dearth of people who are willing to make a quick buck out of a traumatic situation.
The Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard or the HAZWOPER Standard is compulsory for anyone who is exposed to or potentially exposed to hazardous substances at the workplace. It also includes those workers who are directly involved in the clean up operations in and around the Gulf of Mexico.
Most of these training courses are required to be free. The intensive training courses come at a reasonable fee. However, most people are not required to undergo the intensive HAZWOPER Trainings unless they belong to the category of boat captains or supervisors. Many companies that hire workers for the oil spill clean up efforts generally provide these trainings to their workers.
Fake HAZWOPER Certifications & the Legal Action to be Taken