question about getting certified

I was talking to my dh last night. He said his work, he works at a Chrysler dealership, is looking for one of the employees to get CPS certified. I told my dh he should do it! They'd pay for classes and he'll get paid to go. So anyways, he's worried about being liable if anything were to happen, like an accident, and he was the last person to install the seat. Anyone know anything about it?

I'm not sure how it would in a dealership setting, but I'm assuming his work would carry insurance on him. We always have parents sign a waiver too saying they won't sue etc if anything happens b/c we're here doing a service for them, whatever it says. Sake Kids carries insurance on techs if they are working a Safe Kids check event, but not beyond that afaik.

One of the things we are taught is to make sure the parent is the last person to touch the seat.

chickabiddy said:

One of the things we are taught is to make sure the parent is the last person to touch the seat.

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This is what I was going to point out, too. After he shows them how to do it, they need to repeat it.

What the others have said. Techs aren't an installation service. We're educators. With the exception of remarkably pregnant women who simply cannot get their bellies around seats, I make the parent redo the seat. This helps them to know they can do it, it shows me they can do it, and we can work out any kinks in the system that they might have thought they understood. Plus they sign a waiver. I don't carry insurance, I'm a private CPST (Wendy Thomas, Private CPST, at your service. LOL LOL). I don't work for anyone, I rarely volunteer with anyone. I do mostly private checks. I have the parent fill out paperwork, sign it, I have them install the seat and I make sure they know and understand it, and since I don't accept payment they have no grounds to sue me on a professional level. I'm not getting paid, so I'm not professional is what it comes down to. Your husband would be covered by his job, but even if he wasn't, he shouldn't have to worry if he's done his job properly. For me a short check is 30 minutes. That's if the parent has installed the seat properly themselves (that gives a 95% fail rate or so that I've seen personally, which is better than the national average) and all I need to do is make sure they know about the seat. When it's outgrown, when to change directions or change formats, how long the seat lasts, what to do after a collision, how to restrain pets if they have animals, where the safest place to store projectiles in the car is, etc. A long check for me where the seat is wrong or brand new and it's a tricky install, plus the education, is two hours. It's not just about reaching in and tugging on the seat, it's not just about installing it and sending parents on their way. It's about education.

Wendy

Thanks for the replies! I'll let him know he has nothing to worry about. I wasnt sure exactly what happens when get your seats checked. We're getting ours checked next week though!

chickabiddy said:

One of the things we are taught is to make sure the parent is the last person to touch the seat.

Click to expand...

Ditto to that. We also get parents to sign a waiver.