In the absence of legislation or guidance documents surrounding the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for Safe Working at Height (SWAH) training, read our recommendation for CPD in the Outreach Rescue certified competencies.
The model adopted is based on BS8437(2022) 15.2.6 and DEFRA FRCO 2019 document, for the maintenance of competence for both operators and instructors in Water Rescue operations. The DEFRA FRCO is widely adopted and accepted and sets a good standard for comparison between similar Water Rescue and Rope Rescue courses.
Important Notes
- Suitability for the deployment of any person for an operational role is always at the discretion of the responding service.
- Individual training sessions should be of at least 4 hours in duration and uninterrupted to allow suitable time for students to reacquaint themselves with the skillsets.
- CPD sessions must be instructor-led each time to ensure any substandard practice is identified and corrected instead of being normalised.
- Whilst Outreach Rescue awards are valid for three years, we recommend recertification every 2 years to avoid skill fade and to ensure external verification of skillsets beyond what is covered in CPD.
- Whilst this document states the recommended CPD, Outreach Rescue is not in a position to assess and verify individuals' CPD prior to attending recertification courses. It remains the service's responsibility to assure themselves of adequate CPD pre-recertification and for operational purposes.
- Achieving the stipulated CPD requirements is no guarantee that students will successfully recertify. All students submitting for recertification must meet the set standards for each programme.
- CPD should be recorded in all cases.
CPD Requirements by Certification Level
| Outreach Rescue Award | Award Validity | Recertification Requirement | CPD Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWAH and Basic Rescue Operator | 3 years | Re-attend SWAH 3-day combined training and assessment. | A minimum of 2 sessions per calendar year of at least 4 hours in duration. Gaps between training should not exceed 6 months. Recorded activity-based training should annually cover all elements of the course as stipulated on the PTR forms. |
| Rope Rescue Operator | 3 years | Attend a 3-day Rope Rescue Operator recertification course. | A minimum of 3 sessions per calendar year of at least 4 hours in duration. Gaps between training should not exceed 6 months. Recorded activity-based training should annually cover all elements of the course as stipulated on the PTR forms. |
| SWAH Instructor | 3 years | Attend a 3-day SWAH Instructor Recertification course. Maintain First Aid to a Level 3 standard. |
Maintain skillsets as a SWAH operator as per the above. Additionally deliver 63 hours of recorded training in a three-year period (i.e. three 21-hour SWAH courses, OR cumulatively this amount of CPD training). There should be no gaps of any longer than 6 months between training sessions. Maintain First Aid to a Level 3 standard. |
| Rope Rescue Supervisor | 3 years | Attend a 3-day Rope Rescue Supervisors Recertification course. Maintain First Aid to a Level 3 standard. |
A minimum of 4 sessions per calendar year of at least 4 hours in duration. Gaps between training should not exceed 4 months. Recorded activity-based training should annually cover all elements of the course as stipulated on the PTR forms. Maintain First Aid to a Level 3 standard. |
| Rope Rescue Operator Instructor | 3 years | Attend a 3-day Rope Rescue Operator Instructor recertification course. Maintain First Aid to a Level 3 standard. Maintain a Rope Rescue Supervisors Award (not mandatory yet, but will be going in this direction). |
Maintain Rope Rescue Supervisor Award as per above. Additionally deliver 72 hours of recorded Rope Rescue Operator training in a three-year period (i.e. two 36-hour Rope Rescue Operators courses OR cumulatively this amount of CPD training, which must be in Rope Rescue Operator skills (not just SWAH)). There should be no gaps of any longer than 6 months between training sessions. Maintain First Aid to a Level 3 standard. |
Note: Achieving CPD requirements does not guarantee recertification. All students must meet the set standards.
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