Offsite Rescue 3 Safe Working in Water Training for Council Staff in East Anglia

Challenge

The brief Adventure Consultancy received was from WS Training on behalf of council grounds staff;

"We have a requirement to remove some invasive species of plant that happen to grow around riverbanks and wetland. To get rid of it effectively, we would require staff to enter the water and remove it from there."

The Training Company initially indicated that a Basic Water Rescuer course was suggested by their client but Adventure Consultancy advised that the more comprehensive two day Safe Working in Water course was much more appropriate for this group of over a dozen council workers, and would train them to work safely and confidently in and around moving water.

Our Approach

They were keen for us to travel to them for the course, so our Training Director Ant travelled down the night before to recce the agreed water site (and seek out a better alternative nearby). We used WS Training's Bury St Edmunds offices for the classroom day and then met the candidates nearby for the water based day 2 with our trailer full of PPE including wetsuits and fleccy onesies to go underneath and keep everyone warm.

This was the first time this training company had been charged with organising water safety training and we were happy to help steer them and their local authority clients towards the best course for their staff. If you don't work in this field the different courses can be confusing, and that's where our years' of experience come in, helping to advise and provide easy to understand information.

Outcome & Results

The feedback we received on the day (from perhaps initially reluctant candidates), was really positive as they enjoyed the training and they felt that it would serve them well in working safely going forward. They are now trained to risk assess and work safely in and around still and moving water, with their Rescue 3 qualifications being valid for 3 years. Here's what the training company who organised the course said;

"It has been an absolute pleasure working with both you and Ant. You’ve made scheduling this course incredibly easy, so thank you. Hopefully, more courses will be scheduled in the future. "

Hayley Johns - WS Training

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