New safety refresher course

The Thames Skills Academy is launching a brand new Riverside Personal Safety refresher course.

This will be open to any of the more than 1100 people who have already completed the day-long Riverside Personal Safety Course which equips everyone working on or near the tidal Thames to do so safely whether they be in the maritime or construction industry.

The Riverside Personal Safety certificate is valid for three years and the Refresher will act as a reminder to workers about how to make sure that their safety equipment is working properly; how to cope in the event of an emergency; and how to keep themselves and their colleagues safe when they are working on or near tidal water. 

To enable it to be easily delivered during the Covid-19 pandemic and to ensure it is cost-effective for employers, the Refresher Course will be delivered as a half day course on line and will extend the original certificate by three years where upon the full one-day in person course will be required. 

The Thames Skills Academy’s CEO, Katherine Riggs, said: “We have listened to industry feedback about the high value they place on this training.  I am delighted that employers have been involved in developing this Refresher Course so that it is targeted to the most important elements that operators need to know to keep them safe.”

The Refresher Course starts with a review of real-life incidents on the Thames and then provides a reminder of how to use life jackets safely, the actions to take if you or a colleague falls into the water; and a take home of the key safety messages based on real incidents over the last three years on the Thames.