Fake Safety Certifications
Fake Safety Certifications, Stolen Safety Tickets, and Forged Training Records are circling around construction sites across Western Canada. For some, it’s easier and cheaper to pay half price and not spend the time in a classroom or online. However, in a lot of circumstances that act could get the person killed on the job. Or even worse, be the cause of somebody else’s death.
Workers who buy a safety certification and not put the time or effort in to take the training are lazy and have no conscience. I always ask myself, “How can somebody knowingly put others at a higher risk level?” Yet it happened more often than it’s widely known.
Forged Training Records
November 4th, 2021 a news story release from the Red Deer Advocate in Alberta was titled, “RCMP investigating large safety certificate counterfeiting ring”. A quote from the story said, “Police believe thousands of fake certificates may have been sold in Western Canada”. Among these were H2S Alive and First Aid/CPR certifications. In short they are Forged Training Records, a legal document that's forged falls under Federal Laws as well.
Uttering a forged document refers to the altering or creation of a document in order to commit fraud, without the knowledge of the proper authorizing party. Uttering a forged document is a criminal offence in Canada, contrary to section 368 of the Criminal Code. The maximum penalty for forgery in Canada is: 10 years in jail, if tried by indictment. Two years less one day in jail and/or a $5,000 fine, if tried on a summary basis.
In another case, reported by the Montreal Gazette, Youssef Bencheikh, 56, and his wife Sabri Nissirine, 42, as reported were arrested for “forging and selling certificates attesting that the holders had completed a training course of 750 hours, certifying them to become health-care assistants. The fake certificates were allegedly sold for $800 each”.
At Vancouver Community College a similar course costs $4,035 and is 8 months long. You would think the fakes would be spotted right away. Obviously, those who don’t take proper training will not have the skillset to perform the tasks associated with the occupation. For some certifications, an increase in pay comes with the designation on a construction site.
OFA III Stolen Certification
Take for example the Occupational First Aid Certifications in British Columbia. With 3 different levels comes an increase in training and responsibility. Nevertheless, with a 3-year term before a recertification is required, one might get away without really needed the skill set in the training. If at any time it’s required and the person who lied about the training is called upon, they won’t have a clue what to do. Somebody could die as a result.
Stolen Safety Tickets
A perfect example is a situation that is currently being investigated by WorkSafe BC Field Investigations. I admit, its partly my fault for posting my OFA III certification on my website. My new one is watermarked. Not watermarking the uploaded picture of my OFA III wallet card, allowed a crime to take place. A traffic control person from Castlegar BC was able to use a tool to grab a copy of my OFA III card and manipulate it for her own purposes.
Meet Karen Bredt. This person forged her information onto a copy of my OFA III card and used it for 3 years. Eventually getting caught, the owner of the traffic control company where she worked called up the training provider to get a confirmation using the reference number at the bottom. That’s when I found out this Karen person stole my OFA III credentials. What makes it even worse is she worked on some very remote stretches of roads in British Columbia. Workers who thought they were protected were not. Furthermore, as a TCP, she put the public at risk as well.
A person has to have NO common decency and not one ounce of respect for their co-workers to do this. If a worst case first aid scenario occurred, she wouldn’t know what to do. Without an ambulance or any trained medical help, a person could bleed out, go into shock, or one of many other medical conditions that would result in a fatality. And because she lied, she could go to jail for a very long time if her deseption caused a death.
Forged OFA III
At first glance when I was provided a copy of the Forged OFA III Karen created, I had to laugh. The amature attempt in manipulating this OFA III card looks like it was done by a 3 year old. The story goes that she said to her ex employer that she took the 2 week OFA III training program, but failed the written test by 1 %. The test is 100 questions long and she failed by 1 question? That just doesn't ring true in the least. Yet judging from the poorly created forgery, it's a relief she wasn't puit to the test while on the job. She might try to amputate an arm because a scratch was a little dirty.
WorkSafe BC Investigation
As of mid May, 2022 WorkSafe BC Field Investigations has had this file. When it was handed over, including statements, reasurech, contact info for witnesses, I was sure it wouldn't take to long. I've been assured it is actively being investigated. The two WorkSafe BC Investigators, Darren Quon and Daljit Jehal, have had this file now going on 4 months. I called them about 3 weeks ago to get an update, however I was informed they couldn't share any information under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Losing Faith
I am losing Faith that anything will become of this. They're using the Privacy Act because they haven't done a damn thing. They haven't talked to any of the witnesses but one. They haven't talked to Karen even though they know exactly where she's flagging now. I also think it will never be brought before a courtroom. What's really disturbing is Karen Bredt graduated in the spring of 2018 from the BCIT CNST 1100 Safety Officers Course. They just don't understand that this case is different. This is actually a case of one safety professional doing this to another. An example needs to be made of her. She violated one of the most deepest beliefs for safety professionals. "Ethics"
