b'FOGHORN FOCUSWhyand How to Conduct E ective Crew REFRESHER TRAININGBY CAPTAIN MICHAEL MCELROY // WENDELLA SIGHTSEEING BOATSC OVID-19 has changed much for passenger vessel operators. Fromguring closures, to social distancing, mask mandates, and fi out how to work around employees who test positive for the virus and must quarantine away from the operation for up to two weeks or more, weve all experienced far more challenges in the past 15 months than we ever have. Fortunately, with vaccines available and the number of coronavirus cases comingdowneverywhere,businessesarereopening.Now,passenger vessel operations throughout the U.S. are looking forward to a much more successful summer season. While that is good news, we need to be mindful of the potential pitfalls that could derail your reopening. Im talking about bringing back employees and crew who havent been working for your operation in quite some time and may be a little rusty. This is the why crew refresher training courses are absolutely essential. WHY OFFER REFRESHER TRAINING?Regardless of the coronavirus, seasonal operations should always off er trainingtorefreshreturningcrewwhohavebeenawayfromyour workplace in a while. This helps them to quickly get back up to speed, while giving you the chance to observe their skill levels. Refresher training also keeps complacency at bay for crewmembers, regardless if theyve been away from the job for an extended time or not.It never hurts anyone to be reminded of the basics, particularly when it comes to safety-related skills. Year-round or seasonal, all vessel operators should routinely off er training to refresh crewmembers. Furthermore,ifyouroperationislikeours,policiesandprocedures change over time which means employees need to receive updates and training to be ready for the job.Without it, the inevitable evolution of the job can leave your workers in the dark. FOGHORN FOCUS: OPERATIONS 12 FOGHORN'