Q: Can guest instructors fulfill training requirements for their discipline?

No. A person who is a principal instructor or guest instructor for a course may not rely on that course to fulfill requirements for certification. The requirements at 745.226(b)(1)(i) and...

No. A person who is a principal instructor or guest instructor for a course may not rely on that course to fulfill requirements for certification. The requirements at 745.226(b)(1)(i) and (c)(1)(i) say that to become certified a person must “successfully complete an accredited course in the appropriate discipline and receive a course completion certificate from an accredited training program.” A person may be re-certified in a discipline if he or she “successfully completes the appropriate accredited refresher training course and submits a valid copy of the appropriate refresher course completion certificate.” 40 CFR 745.226(e)(2). Under the accreditation requirements in 745.225(c)(7), each person “must successfully complete the hands-on skills assessment and receive a passing score on the course test to pass any course.” To successfully complete training requirements, persons seeking certification just complete the training as students rather than as instructors. This will maximize each person’s participation in the training, including the hands-on components, and will ensure that each person’s qualifications are independently and objectively evaluated through the course test.