Ensuring a safe workforce both at sea and on shore

According to Steve Ham, Head of Commercial Services Sales at commercial diving company JFD, it is now more important than ever for companies to ensure their employees have the right tools to maintain the highest levels of safety. This includes ensuring all individuals are fully trained, and up-to-date with all essential qualifications required for shore side and offshore roles.

“At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of providing training remotely where possible was recognised by JFD, and we acted swiftly to ensure continuity of our training programmes where possible.

For the offshore diving market, it is paramount that deep sea divers work under the safest conditions possible. When it comes to training, there are some topics such as product familiarisation and maintenance for which face-to-face training remains essential, resulting in the postponement of tuition until the easing of social distancing measures. However, there are a plethora of other areas where, with the right approach, highly effective training can be carried out remotely.”

At the time of writing, JFD has launched and operated a permanent online training portal that has been available for current and new clients for more than a month, with several courses currently available on the portal including a Client Representative Course and a Dynamic Positioning Awareness Course. The portal has also allowed the company to contribute to customers CPD by launching a Client Representative Refresher Course. JFD is working to expand the offering by creating new bespoke online courses and adapting traditional classroom courses for this platform. This will offer additional support to the marine and offshore industries, delivered in a very cost-effective format.

Newly shaped online programmes will ensure all individuals have access to as much high-quality training as possible, wherever they are in the world, ultimately creating a safer global industry. The initiative means that when a “new normal” resumes, many will have been able to utilise the online training facility to enhance their capabilities and keep all relevant qualifications up to date. Furthermore, it supports those wanting to boost their careers, enabling them to focus on building their own expertise to create a stronger workforce for the future.