Deception undermined effort of employer to ensure safety on site

In this example the person was working for a New Zealand Chemical business at the time of the offending, who had arranged training in the use of hazardous substances. After failing aspects of the training in 2017, their employee forged certificates to deceive his employer into believing him qualified and competent.

For privacy reasons we have not disclosed the person's name or his company name on our website.

They pleaded guilty to two charges and was convicted under the Crimes Act 1961 for using forged documents. During a WorkSafe investigation they admitted to altering two certificates from other employees at the company he worked for and presenting them to his employer as his own qualifications.

Regulations state work requiring handling of hazardous substances must be carried out by a person holding a compliance certificate as a certified handler.

As a result, the employee faced serious consequences for his extremely serious offending.

“Instead of completing the qualification, he went to great lengths to forge certificates and convince his employer he had completed his training. This was deliberate and sustained behaviour, not a one off oversight.

“The certification process is important because handling the chemicals covered by the requirements presents significant risks to the handler, people working nearby and potentially others who may have to respond in an emergency.

“The certification process is part of ensuring these risks are properly managed, so people such as this employee, who try to side step the requirements are putting themselves and others at risk.

The purpose of showing this story is to show that Worksafe are actively checking up on Health and Safety training and you DO have to be able to prove you, and your people, have been trained properly. There are no short cuts....

Read the original story here on Worksafe's website