Flattery or Forgery – The Ionactive RPS Certificate
Published: Apr 02, 2026
Is this certificate for real?
Today we received a call from a company asking about the validity of an Ionactive RPS training course certificate which had been presented by an individual who was seeking employment. This might be the first time we have ever been asked this question, which on reflection is somewhat surprising? A quick look at our training records confirmed what we really did not want to find - the certificate was not genuine.
We checked our training database and found that:
- The certificate number did exist (so was valid) but for the actual deserving delegate.
- The name on the certificate didn’t match the delegate which we knew it had been issued too.
- The date (e.g. expiry) didn’t align with the certificate number.
This wasn’t a typo by Ionactive (our system is completely automated), this was a fabricated certificate which we find quite depressing.
Online RPS training courses / other Ionactive online radiation protection training
If you have landed on this page and are wanting to take an online radiation protection course then head over to this page: Online radiation protection training or directly to our online RPS training course.
Is this certificate for real?
How did this happen?
We do not know for sure, but following some investigation today we have come up with the most likely circumstances. Many of our delegates are rightly proud of completing their training (as they should be), and occasionally share their certificates on platforms like LinkedIn and other social media. But this also means that a certificate image can be copied… edited… and reused. For example someone can
- Change the name.
- Tweak the date.
- Adjust the certificate number.
And then that person can present training certification for an RPS course they haven’t actually completed (including the competency test). Ionactive would know instantly that this was a fake certificate, but only if we know about it.
Flattering (or is it?)
Over the last 18 months we have seen an increase in online RPS and refresher training from the oil / gas sector (e.g. FMD, industrial radiography and NORM etc). We never go out of our way to deliver to certain sectors, they come to us. So there could be a little part of Ionactive that thinks: 'Well… they clearly wanted an Ionactive certificate!'. But this is not flattery. It’s fraud. And most importantly, in the context of radiation protection - it shows that the person applying for the job has absolutely no interest in radiation protection (or health and safety in general).
The Radiation Protection Supervisor (RPS) plays key role in ensuring safe working practices under the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17). The role is not simply a title to be found on a CV or job application form.
The prospective employer of an RPS will rely on training records to:
- demonstrate competence.
- demonstrate suitability to undertake the RPS role.
- show that the individual can support a safe system of work.
- show that the RPS can satisfy regulatory (HSE) expectations.
If an individual is presenting false training certification, that trust is undermined immediately.
Radioactivity decays vs Credibility fades
Ionactive online RPS training courses are not a walk in the park
Ionactive online RPS training is designed to be practical, relevant, and accessible. The multimedia approach with the videos, audio commentary and interactive content is designed to retain delegate interest and enhance understanding. This then leads to the end of course test which is comprehensive and fair, but it’s not a tick-box exercise.
Our delegates have to engage with the material and pass an assessment. We generally say that:
- A pass mark always requires effort and commitment.
- A strong pass (e.g. 70%+) requires a more in-depth understanding and study time.
Most of our delegates pass, and many attain 70%+ so they have earned the test result and should be proud of it.
[Ionactive comment: In our view, at the general RPS training course level, attendance without a test is of little practical value. So we do not offer 'completed' or 'has attended' certificates - our delegates pass a test before an 'achievement' certificate is issued.]
General Ionactive advice to employers
Whilst aimed at employers undertaking work with ionising radiation, this applies to all employers who seek qualified persons.
If you are reviewing training certificates (not just Ionactive), a few simple checks will help:
- Don’t rely on training certificate appearance alone (Ionactive certificates are recognisable - but dig deeper).
- Check certificate numbers where possible (see Ionactive up and coming improvements noted later below).
- If in doubt — contact the training provider (as we were contacted, which kicked this whole blog off).
- Always be cautious of inconsistencies in formatting or details (in this specific case the false certificate numbers are in a different size font on closer inspection).
Advice for our Ionactive delegates (indeed all training delegates)
If you have completed Ionactive training and want to share your achievement (which we absolutely encourage - it's good for us too!), consider avoiding posting full certificates publicly, or at least redact:
- certificate numbers.
- signatures.
- other identifying details.
A simple LinkedIn (or other social media) post describing your achievement is more than enough (but please do mention us!). Don't let an individual steal your hard earned RPS training certificate and try and make it their own.
What is Ionactive doing about this?
This was a shock and we appreciate the relevant company coming forward and checking the validity with us.
In response to this issue, we are planning to introduce a certificate verification tool on the Ionactive website. This will allow employers (and others) to quickly confirm whether a certificate number (or other certificate detail) is valid - we hope to implement this before end of June 2026.
Final thoughts
We want to continue posting about new Ionactive calculators, widgets, content and other news. However, it was important to get this post out today as soon as this incident become apparent. Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, but there is nothing sincere about this incident. The world of radiation protection in the UK and beyond requires competent persons and we at Ionactive try and do out bit to make this achievable (as do all our competitors who we respect). We are proud of our radiation protection training, and only recently posted how pleased we were with our online training service (which was born out of Covid-19). Flattery is always welcome, forgery is never welcome and insults the efforts of our RPS training delegates.
Mark Ramsay
Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA)
Ionactive Consulting Limited (April 2026)