How many of you do refresher courses?

[Ian Flatters]

In 10yrs i have only done 1 refsher course which is cs30/31 in 2008. I plan to do some more this year but wondered how many have or haven't so i post a simple poll just out of personal curiosity.

[skyhuck]

Asking experienced tree worker to retrain on basic courses that are designed for novices is an insulting disgrace!!!!!

 

We need some properly recognized advanced refresher courses, if we are going to be expected to take refresher training.

[delabodge]

hear hear,,,,,,,,I dont need a course on,,learning to walk,,learning to balance,,,,,,or common sense,,,,,,,

[scottythepinetree]

Do a different ticket every year and pick the instructors brain about anything that may have changed works for me.

[Rupe]

I did one over five years ago so I'm supposed to do another!

 

But who actually runs a good refreshers course? I would want every CS unit refreshed in a few days for not much money.

 

Treevolution did one but not any more. Any suggestions?

[Ian Flatters]

Im glad that i wasn't the only one that thought it was over priced.

[plippy]

richard at kingswood training offered a very reasonable price to do a refresher course in specific units, was suprised at how much it was and i think it had to be a group booking

[sawmonkey]

I did one over five years ago so I'm supposed to do another!

 

But who actually runs a good refreshers course? I would want every CS unit refreshed in a few days for not much money.

 

Treevolution did one but not any more. Any suggestions?

 

i did a couple of refresher courses with them last year, also put a few of the lads on some refreshers with them.

[roseyweb]

pfffft

I started learning after I passed

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Hi all,

 

Refresher training eh?...a thorny issue IMO (and experience.)

 

If I may I'd like to share with you the AAAC scheme requirements:

 

Whilst we would expect the contractor concerned to have an appreciation and good understanding of the obsjectives of refresher/update training we would not expect to see every CS unit over 5 years old refreshed (and I don't believe the HSE would either.)

 

However if we assessed a company who had the old CS10, 11, 12 & 20, 21, 22 etc., which were superceded approx. 12 years ago AND where changes have been incorporated into the units, we would expect to see refreshers and the 'new(er)' units in place (remembering of course that although 'training' is always advised you can put yourself straight forward for the NPTC assessment only.)

 

We often recommend refresher training be taken in conjunction with 'new' training for a different/advanced NPTC unit, i.e. CS31 more than 5(?)/8/certainly 10 years old, to be 'advanced' to a CS32 (as was.) Similarly a CS39 can be advanced to CS41...or IMO a CS41 more than 5(?)/8/ceratinly 10 years old should be specifically refreshed as techniques and technologies have moved on considerably in this area.

 

The other areas to consider for specific 'refreshers' are 'First Aid', annually (money well spent IMO), 'aerial rescue' (particularly with designated rescuers not regularly climbing...and in combination with regular practice), and as I inferred above 'rigging', particularly in light of the recent rigging research, and also climbing to some extent as things have moved on considerably over the years (although the latter two are 'updates' rather tha refreshers but same outcome = improved knowledge.)

 

Being a H&S nurdy and recognising it's a potentially 'high risk' area I would also suggest, if budget allows, you consider driver refresher training as the consequences of bad habits and poor driving techniques can be very costly and if you are an employer, and not a limited company, you can have your licence endorsed if an employee is found to be at fault in an accident.

 

Hoping this to be of interest.

Cheers..

Paul