Safety Management


Staff Training: why, how and who? C


an you help me? I’m looking for the round lake with the perfect RYA wind that blows


from north to south, providing a steady force 3 cross-shore wind. The flags flutter and the jetty is usable in all conditions. I heard about this place when it was used to explain much of what I was taught on my instructor course. Strangely, I’m yet to find it! We now have RYA training


centres across the world, providing a plethora of very diverse training grounds. We have the rough and chilly waters of the English Channel and Irish Sea, the unpredictability of Bass Strait, wind-blown swell in the Straits of Messina and tidal currents of the Menai Straits and Solent. But it’s not all about tide and currents. Let’s not forget the more commonly experienced slippery concrete banks of a man- made lake, the dangers that a cold winter can bring to UK waters, the unpredictable weather created from Katabatic wind in the Grecian Islands or underwater dangers in warmer climates, such as jelly fish and sharks! Think about all these different


environments and we quickly come to realise it is impossible for all these scenarios to be covered in RYA instructor training. In fact this isn’t what these courses are designed to cover anyway. RYA instructor courses are


designed to develop competent, experienced sailors or powerboaters and provide them with training which enables them to competently teach adults and children, beginners and improvers, following a recognised syllabus. During the course, the Coaches and Trainers are assessing the candidate’s ability to take responsibility for teaching, using specific teaching methods for the environment, equipment and conditions at that given time. RYA instructor training can be


delivered by appointed Coaches or Trainers at any RYA training centre which is recognised for that discipline and has permission


www.rya.org.uk


ledge which allow masts to be left up when towing on one day, but taken down the next! Staff training does not have


to be delivered by the Centre Principal. It may be more appropriate for it to be delegated to the Chief Instructor or experienced Senior Instructor with particular knowledge in a given area. The important thing is that local knowledge is passed on. Good staff training is key to the


to run the course. Although the syllabus and course programme achieve a consistent, standard approach, the variety of locations and conditions in which instructor training is delivered provides a different experience for each individual on each course. So, with all training centre


environments being unique with no ‘general’ teaching environment, it is vital to build on the generic skills base being taught during instructor training. How do we do this and whose responsibility is it?


Who? As the Principal or Chief instructor of a Training Centre, it is your responsibility to ensure staff are suitably qualified and experienced. Most importantly you must make sure they receive appropriate, effective and adequate in-house training on the specific requirements


for your centre, allowing them to carry out the tasks required of them.


How and why? A certain amount of knowledge can be assumed from an RYA instructor qualification, which can be assessed alongside an individual’s previous experience. However, it is important that we increase this knowledge, providing specific awareness and understanding of the environments we want them to teach in. This is where staff training is needed. Generally, as the Principal and/ or Chief Instructor, you will know the unique quirks of your operating area: the strange weather systems, a submerged church which prevents capsize, the exciting choppy water that comes an hour before high tide, or the walls of swell created from wind against tide on a hidden


safety of staff and students, but also the smooth running of your centre. It ensures quality tuition, and, even more importantly, a safe operation. When, how often and by who:


» As a minimum, pre-season training ensures all staff are trained in what is required of them, with periodic updates needed when operating procedures change or are updated.


» Additional staff training throughout the season ensures refreshment on particular subjects, areas of delivery or complicated environments.


» Regular and effective staff briefing and debriefing, led by senior staff is good practice combined with reviewing with the staff team.


» The sharing of lessons learnt from incidents, accidents or near misses ensures well informed and up-to-date staff, as well as a healthy ethos for the sharing of information.


» Adequate time should be put aside for new instructors, providing thorough briefings on the procedures, site-specific requirements and delivery requirements.


» The creation of a checklist or staff training manual acts as a helpful reminder of the relevant points and training covered.


» Ensuring Instructors sign to say they have read and understood the operating procedures of the centre acts as evidence of what training has taken place and when.


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