MORE THAN A CERTIFICATE – HOW KEVIN SWINDEN BUILT A TRAINING CULTURE THAT WORKS
Kevin Swinden isn’t interested in job titles. Or corporate ladders. Or the alphabet soup of credentials after someone’s name.
“I don’t do titles,” he says. “A certificate doesn’t mean a hill of beans if you aren’t competent.”
ISwinden is the founder and owner of Global Hazmat, a company that’s been shaking up the way people think about hazardous materials training for nearly 30 years. And in that time, he’s seen the same pattern again and again:
- Training gets done.
- Boxes get ticked.
- And still—people aren’t prepared.
“Safety and hazmat are often very separate, but they shouldn’t be.”
Swinden’s mission is to close that gap. And it starts with how we teach.
FROM FRUSTRATION TO FOUNDATION
Swinden didn’t start Global Hazmat because it sounded like a good business idea. He started it because he couldn’t take another day of spinning his wheels under leadership that didn’t care about outcomes—or people.
“I realised I couldn’t work for people who didn’t have a clear purpose. So I left. I said, I’m going to go off and become your competitor.”
Armed with real-world experience and a stubborn refusal to cut corners, Swinden launched Global Hazmat as a one-man show. The company’s now a leader in hazardous materials training, known for its practical, results-driven approach.
“Doing things the right way isn’t optional. It’s the job.”
WHY CERTIFICATIONS ALONE DON’T CUT IT
Swinden has seen how easily the industry confuses “qualified” with “capable.” And that’s where the danger begins.
“A certificate won’t save you in front of a judge, much less a gas leak.”
One of his most sobering stories involves a mislabelled drum of chemical waste that reacted violently—releasing chlorine gas. The incident forced the evacuation of major retailers and homes.
“It came down to people not understanding that waste has the same hazards as product.”
This wasn’t a failure of policy. It was a failure of education.
“Competency is everything. Show me you can do it.”
PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE ISN’T A NICE-TO-HAVE—IT’S ESSENTIAL
Swinden’s approach to training is rooted in consequence. The real world doesn’t care how well someone performed on a quiz. It cares whether they know how to act under pressure.
“You learn from error—but only if you choose to. That’s where training needs to start: with the decision to learn.”
He’s seen audits where over 80% of shipping documents were wrong. He’s been called into situations where there was no documentation at all. No compliance. No plan. Just risk.
“It’s not that important… until someone gets hurt.”
Training can’t be reactive. It has to build habits that hold up when the pressure’s on.
BUILDING A CULTURE, NOT JUST A COURSE
Swinden doesn’t just teach rules—he challenges companies to change how they think.
“Employers often mandate training for their employees but don’t train themselves.”
“The result? A culture where safety is seen as someone else’s job.
Swinden flips that.
“It’s not about one training session. It’s about creating a mindset—every day, every level, every role.”
FWHERE TECH HELPS—AND WHERE IT HURTS
Swinden welcomes digital tools and automation—especially in documentation. But he’s wary of shortcuts.
“I’m all for anything that helps—so long as it doesn’t undermine competence.”
Digital doesn’t mean safer. It only works when it supports understanding.
“The biggest issue we see is confusion between being certified and being competent.”
ADVICE FOR EDUCATORS, TRAINERS, AND SAFETY LEADS
Swinden’s advice to those designing training?
- Teach the “why,” not just the “what.”
- Reinforce real-world decision-making.
- Follow up with observation and feedback.
And for learners?
“Ask questions. Find a mentor. Listen. You can’t learn this stuff from a slide deck.”
Degrees, titles, and eLearning modules all have their place. But they’re just the start.
“You want to build safety culture? You need people who want to learn—and leaders who know how to teach.”
ONE PERSON. BIG RIPPLE
Kevin Swinden didn’t set out to build a training empire. He just wanted people to stop getting hurt because of what they didn’t know.
Today, Global Hazmat’s reach spans industries and borders. But its heart is the same as it was on Day One:
- Teach people what they need to know.
- Hold them to a standard.
- And never—ever—settle for a certificate when the job demands competence.
