Is refresher training totally pointless?

Noooo I hear you say…refresher training is VERY important! 

It ensures we are competent in the latest knowledge and skills required to undertake our role in life, it means that we get to understand the most up-to-date thinking, maybe even technologies and continually update our ‘data-base’ of information in our minds.

After all, who would seriously want any upcoming heart surgery carried out by a surgeon that had not ‘refreshed’ their training since qualifying, maybe 30 years ago, can you imagine your surgeon turning up looking like the Doctor in the header photo?

Likewise, if you were going in for root canal treatment tomorrow, you’d expect the dental surgeon to have updated their knowledge and skills (and carried out refresher training) if they qualified 25 years ago?!

As my good friend Mark Dawes frequently tells me ‘You’d not use a computer that hadn’t had its software updated (aka refreshed) for 20 years, it just wouldn’t work’ and in the land of Information & Technology it seems that even after 6 months you’re out of date!

In the wonderful world of Health and Safety, fire too, whilst many people moan and refer to ‘we never had Health & Safety as kids’ I’m sure Romain Grosjean, the F1 Driver, is pretty happy right now that safety experts advised (and F1 made compulsory) for the ‘Safety Halo’ that now is standard in F1 cars. What an incredible invention, and doubtless a life-saver to Grosjean this past weekend in the Bahrain Grand Prix. What would the alternative be?

If you have not seen the footage, take a look at this clip (viewer discretion).

Click the link ??

Bahrain Grand Prix 2020 - Grosjean

Refresher training is paramount to everyone, vital to the wellbeing of all involved, but think about this:

I passed my driving test, 36 years and a day ago! (Don’t ask me how I know, I just do).

Second attempt (I always believe us second-timers make better drivers).

But I’ve NEVER ever had refresher lessons or training! 

So why is it that we bang on about refresher training every year or every three years, etc. yet once we’ve passed a driving test at 17/18 years old…. we can drive, with no ‘upskilling’ or refresher training until we’re 70 (and even then we only need a Doctor to sign us off)? You can even pass your test at 17 and not physically drive a car for 30 years… and then jump in one and drive, quite legally!

There are many reasons for this of course; logistical, financial, practical… but it always makes me think… we (quite rightly) carry out refresher training for so many knowledge and skill based roles, yet when it comes to driving on public roads, with other road users, in a potential lethal weapon, it’s a case of impressing that instructor, over 45 minutes and you have a licence for life!

Which brings me full circle to Refresher Training.

With everything that has gone on in the world this year… are your teams up to date with legislation?

Health & Safety, Manual Handling, Fire Marshal, First Aid, and many more legislative areas.

Whilst Covid Guidelines have held the headlines, the law has not changed with Health & Safety and Fire Regulations.

For a no obligation discussion to discuss your organisation’s legislative requirements, let’s talk now. 

Here's a link to the latest IMD UK Update for more information.