I feel for you and have trained many trainers over the years that have told me they were in the same boat. Giving you responsibilty for safety and not the authority to do anything about it is a dangerous game for you (and them really too). If you are powerless to do anything people will ignore you, they need to put some "teeth" into their policies and impower some folks like you to get things done. I am not a safety ****, but serious infractions, willfuly are bad and should get big punishment. Badly trained employees that have no resources and are committing safety infractions are another matter, you have to do the first things right (training and equipping) before you can expect much. If you do your training part right your name on the permits are no big deal, if the training is not done right you have a large liability.
Well dan-m that eases my mind a little. Your response makes it easier to handle the frustrations of a trainer.
Charles,
I would have to assume that even though the permits bear your signature, the lawyers would have to prove incompetence on your part by not teaching the use of safety gear when elevated up in the air. As long as you can demonstrate that you have trained the staff on this very point, then the company, or supervisors, will have to bear the brunt of the law.
Yes, I am thier designated trainer that they sent to train the trainer course. Should I have the boss sign them instead? Our guys are too lazy to turn off thier machines at break and lunch, use boxes to cover safety lights, don't pre op thier machines, etc. mostly becauase the employer is too focused on lines per hour going out the door than on keeping up with doing the right thing. It seems to me that the only react to situations and until they experience OSHA inspections like I have with my previous employer they will never take SAFETY seriously. They almighty dollar prevails here in the USA!!!! Oh, and we all took the 48 hour OSHA course together!
Your name should not be on their wallet cards, unless you are the employer. It sounds like you are the trainer. The employer is the entity that issues the permits. You just train for that employer. Stay out of the "loop". If your management or supervisors won't enforce what you teach to your operators, then they are people who could be cited. As a trainer, you have to get the management on your side. If they don't work with you on enforcement, Have them read OSHA 1910.178 and ASME B56.1