New BST Refresher training standard caters for virtual classroom environment

The Basic Safety Training Online Partial Refresher (BSTR-P) Standard is launched today as an interim measure by Global Wind Organisation, to address the risk of skills fade during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The standard does not eliminate the need for skills-based training, instead giving employers a way to refresh their workforce's learning in the domains of knowledge and attitude, helping to reduce the potential for skills fade when the conventional BST Refresher is unavailable.

BSTR-P can be implemented by certified training providers (with a valid extention to their existing third party certification) in its current form until 31 December 2020. It will be reviewed by GWO Committees and working groups from 1 October 2020.

This new standard provides course participants with a partial training, equivalent to a significant portion of the normal Basic Safety Training Refresher standard. It accommodates virtual classroom delivery and can be certified via remote audit according to the new Requirements for Digital learning.

BSTR-P participants will receive a certificate in WINDA with a validity of six months from the expiry of their existing record.

Alex Booker, Training Project Manager at GWO (Pictured) led the working group to develop BSTR-P. He explains: "The COVID-19 viral pandemic has caused widespread disruption globally and has, in many regions,  prevented technicians from attending GWO refresher training leading to a safety risk imposed through skills and knowledge fade within the wind industry. GWO's answer to the crisis includes the new BSTR-P Standard and the Digital Learning Requirements, which support certification of the new standard and will enable training providers' efforts in offering training solutions digitally, while respecting social distancing.  

"It is important to understand that BSTR-P can be implemented using existing tools - many of which are in use by training providers already. There will be some adjustment and planning required by GWO instructors to achieve the learning objectives but, with the level of skill amongst our educators in the GWO network I am very confident we will see a good transfer of learning in those knowledge and attitude domains that are covered by BSTR-P.

Jakob Lau Holst, CEO  of Global Wind Organisation adds: "The working group led by Alex has done an amazing job in bringing BSTR-P to market so quickly. It is important to re-emphasise that this is an interim training standard, which will be reviewed from 1st October.

Digital Learning Requirements

"We recently issued digital learning requirements, and next week will absorb these into the GWO Requirements for Training Providers and Certification Bodies, acknowledging that virtual classrooms will be a part of GWO's future.

"Of course, practical exercises led by instructors to refresh skills are here to stay. However, the BSTR-P is a complementary learning tool that the Covid-19 crisis prompts us to fast-track. BSTR-P also provides an opportunity to gain experience and learning about virtual classrooms, and I believe a version of this will likely be part of the  industry future."