Gambling on your Security

By

Bill High, NAUI 175

Have you ever purchased a lottery ticket, a raffle ticket or played a hand of poker?  If so, that suggests you are willing to take a chance from time to time.  Not much is lost if your raffle or lottery ticket fails to produce the desired result.  Your entire financial life may be lost however if you gamble on your defensibility should a cylinder related accident occur.

 Have you gambled on your ability to withstand a civil lawsuit?  If you inspect cylinders, state they are suitable for continued service but do not have documented proof your inspecting protocol meets or exceeds the highest standard, then you jeopardize your financial future.

 Watch your local evening news.  At least weekly a tragic event occurs and reporters describe how lawsuits are in progress even before the facts surrounding the tragedy are known.  A lawsuit could happen to you should a cylinder you handle, fill, inspect or sell fails for whatever cause. Your defense will be that you are trained and current at the job you performed.

 If a cylinder you have serviced contributes to an injury or property damage, your qualifications and life history will be scrutinized. In fact, your education, religion, sports interest, family harmony and other totally irrelevant subjects will be included.  An apposing attorney will strive to find a crack in your strengths as a knowledgeable, skilled and competent cylinder service person. 

So, have you built a strong defense against humankind that too often seeks someone else to be financially responsible when adversity strikes?  Based upon my experience in investigating, reporting upon and testifying in court about cylinder related accidents, I can assure you that the best possible defense as a cylinder inspector, fill station operator or even a cylinders retailer is current, recognized training.

 PSI offers that training.  PSI has the only training recognized by US and Canadian governments, gas industry agencies and cylinder manufacturers for cylinder visual inspector training, high-pressure gas HAZMAT compliance and eddy current instrument use.  Those training programs exceed the gas industry standards.  They allow individuals to receive initial training, as well as the required recurrent training.  The cost is nominal and the training serves as the best possible insurance policy so your financial security is not a gamble.