Certified Director of Safety (CDS)

Course Requirements:

  • Motor Fleet Safety Basics
  • Managing Motor Fleet Safety Programs

Experience

  • Five years in the motor fleet safety field or,
  • Four years in the motor fleet safety field with a 4-year college degree or with 5 years CMV Enforcement experience (see stipulations in the “Certification FAQs” section of the website)

Exam

  • A certification exam is given the morning after the second course.

Expertise

Candidates must serve as full-time administrators demonstrating their capability of handling a position which involves establishing programs and policies, setting standards, developing materials, and providing leadership to achieve the goals set.

Within 60 days of taking the certification exam, applicants must complete a certification application providing performance data correlating to the years of experience required.

If the experience requirements are met, the required courses taken, exam is passed and application approved, the candidate will be granted the Certified Director of Safety (CDS) designation.

For further detail on the Experience Requirements, visit the FAQ’s on Certification page.

 

Canadian Safety Certification Program CDS-C and CSS-C
The Canada-specific safety certification program has the same general requirements, but slightly different course content.  See description for the Certified Director of Safety-Canada (CDS-C) and Certified Safety Supervisor Canada (CSS-C)

Motor Fleet Safety Basics:
Training for the Safety Director
(2 Days)

This course is available in 2-day classroom format.  Required training for the Certified Director of Safety and Certified Safety Supervisor designations.

After this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Recognize the role of the safety supervisor in implementing quality fleet safety programs.
  2. Implement record keeping systems to meet DOT and OSHA regulatory requirements.
  3. Conduct basic on-site accident investigations and compile accident reports.
  4. Implement procedures to prevent employee injury and control workers’ compensation claims.
  5.  Apply strategies to hire successfully.
  6. Recognize driver retention problems and identify and implement strategies to improve retention.
  7. Identify safety-related training needs and assess available resources to deliver effective safety training programs.
  8. Describe the benefits and requirements for becoming a NATMI certified safety professional.

 

Course Description: This  “Fleet Safety 101” program is designed to provide training on effective implementation of safety-related policies and procedures. A training requirement for NATMI’s safety certification program, this course is designed for line-level safety supervisors, with the basic emphasis on what they need to do and when and how to do it.  Managers of small fleets and experienced safety professionals seeking a refresher on technical issues will find this course helpful as well.

You’ll gain technical knowledge taught within the context of the importance of safety and applying a quality management approach to safety program implementation.  Some pre-reading is also required. The following topics will be covered:

  • Objectives of a fleet safety program
  • Overview of NATMI certification for safety professionals
  • DOT/OSHA Record keeping issues and requirements
  • Reporting and documenting vehicle accidents
  • Employee injury control and prevention
  • Hiring the right people
  • Driver retention
  • Safety training
  • Implementing safety in your company

Managing Motor Fleet Safety Programs:
Training for the Safety Director
(2 Days)

This course is required training for the Certified Director of Safety (CDS)
and can be applied to the Certified Safety Supervisor (CSS) designation.

After this course, participants will be able to:

  1. Establish safety policy and procedures.
  2. Apply quality management principles and tools to safety management.
  3. Develop measurement standards and control systems for fleet safety.
  4. Analyze company records to quantify the Return on Investment of safety programs.
  5. Evaluate critical data in each technical program area covered in this course.
  6. Make recommendations to establish and continuously improve safety programs.
  7. Act as an advocate for safety in their company.
  8. Create a company safety culture and “sell” upper management on the safety philosophy.

Course Description: This course is designed to provide transportation safety directors and prospective safety directors with the vision and skills that they need to manage an effective safety program. Participants will be playing the role of a newly-hired safety director at a company in need of a safety overhaul.  Through case-based scenarios, learn how to “sell” safety to top management, foster a safety “culture” in the organization, demonstrate safety’s Return on Investment, and consistently improve the safety of company operations using quality management approaches.  The following topics will be covered:

  • How to become a Certified Director of Safety (CDS)
  • Safety is good business – demonstrating the effect of safe operation on profitability.
  • The quality management approach to safety programs: how to identify the root cause of company
    safety problems and establish systems for continuous improvement.
  • Employee injury/illness management programs: focusing on critical safe behaviors to prevent or
    reduce injuries; managing injury costs through early return to work programs.
  • Driver performance management: using quality tools to identify the root causes of Hours of
    Service violations and to analyze driver turnover.
  • Accident analysis and litigation: root cause analysis of accident trends; a case study in accident
    litigation.
  • Implementing safety: how to implement the concepts introduced in this course in your own
    company.

Benefits of Developing a NATMI credentialed workforce.  This PowerPoint presentation provides comprehensive insight and research into credentialing, and specifically, what outcomes are achieved through safety certification.  Additionally, survey results and member feedback are included.  This presentation is a must have for any person, or training coordinator who needs to communicate the value and ROI of certification to its senior management. We recommend saving presentation to your computer for easiest viewing.

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