Have to renew all NPTC units every 5 years

[Mesterh]

I don't know if you can compare refresher driving test to NPTC tests, ie I presume there is just one driving refresher course/test to take compared to god knows how many NPTC units I have!

 

Besides being a coach driver you would be responsible for the safety of say 50+ other people whereas as an arb it's mainly your own safety that's at risk.

[TGB]

... No mention of compulsory refresher for driving though, is there?

Please don't tempt fate! There's always someone watching and always someone willing to make a profit through regulation. Move over FISA, here come the DVLA.

[paullen]

Jeez can't professionals just be allowed to get on with their living and earn a wage. Far too much red tape in this country imo.

[agrimog]

it is time the profesionalls in this industry got together, stoped bikering and fighting and stood with one voice, the FC, and all the large bodies need us more thasn we need them, instead of bowing and scraping to there every whim we need to tell them sorry, but thats not how its going to be, here are MY conditions for work, YOU will provide any aditional training thats required at your cost, and if not, sorry I wont be cutting your timber, nor will anyone else in the trade, You will be put on a blacklist and no-one will work for you. But as long as all the infighting and backstabing , plus shiny new just passed trainees , bow and scrape, this will never happen

[Warners]

Very valid point. I still say that driving to work is the riskiest part of my, or anyone's, day. No mention of compulsory refresher for driving though, is there?

 

Don't know why driving isn't retested every 10 years anyway. almost seems daft you can drive from 17 to 70 and no one checks. A 10 yr retest might improve the standard of driving generally and mean that there'll be no need for a new law to catch middle lane drivers.......

 

i'd be happy to do a retest... driving is a privilege not a right after all....

[hedgesparrow]

pilots who fly private have to have a log book of all there flights and have to keep up with the current regs, so why not for other things NPTC should do this have a log book of work you do gets signed. you just send it in once a year showing your up to date.

[ukminch]

pilots who fly private have to have a log book of all there flights and have to keep up with the current regs, so why not for other things NPTC should do this have a log book of work you do gets signed. you just send it in once a year showing your up to date.

 

We also have to do an hour with an examiner every second year, which is kind of the same thing by the sounds of it. Really stupid thing is that I can stay current by not flying for 23 months then in the last month do 12 hours, with an hour with an examiner and stay current........

[Stubby]

BA pilots have to refresh in the simulator every so many hours and that is for every plane that they are passed on . Imagine haviong to do iot for evbery saw you got !

[Spruce Pirate]

Perhaps not but they are professional wood cutters

 

You are, of course, quite right on this. I did think of that after I wrote that post.

 

Please don't tempt fate! There's always someone watching and always someone willing to make a profit through regulation. Move over FISA, here come the DVLA.

 

Yes, I agree, perhaps best not to tempt fate. My point being I think I am in more danger driving to work than I am while at work, and yet it is the less risky part of the operation that I am required to refresh/recertify in.

 

 

Logging hours, apart from the long paper trail involved, does seem a good idea to me.

 

Unfortunately this whole process smacks of lip service to Health & Safety to me. I don't see how being refreshed is going to make a dangerous operator safer. If anything we need good, and I mean really good, assessors to come on site and assess our abilities on the job and then make any recommendations to us how to do anything better, if required. In my opinion FISA should be paying for this.

 

Getting guys who have been cutting for 20+ years, even 10 or 5 years, to refresh their 30/31 is pointless.

[chris hennelly]

......recently,i missed ..out on a large plum of a job for a wind farm,because the main contractors wanted ALL tickets dated within 5 years. Experience,qualifications,references didnt count.Thats their rules,so a big firm got the job.....despite the site agent spending a lot of time helping me with convoluted method statements/risk assessments on everything from lifting and replanting trees to hedge pruning and felling......am now re-doing tickets as and when i can afford. As a byline if anything happens even if not your fault and you end up in court a question may be asked,'when did you last have training on..(whatever)'....sorry if this has all been written already.........................c.