Glossary · Safe work, maintenance and competence
Refresher training
Also known as: retraining
In occupational safety, refresher training is repeat training used to maintain competence after time has passed, after a change, after an incident or when performance gaps are observed.
- Machine safety
- Human factors
In one sentence
Refresher training keeps competence current, triggered by time, change, incidents or observed gaps, not only by the calendar.
Example
After a near miss during die change, all setters on the press line receive refresher training on the lockout procedure and the new die-blocking device, followed by an observed practice run.
How it applies
- Human factors: Rarely performed tasks, such as emergency procedures or special operating modes, fade fastest. Plan refreshers for them in particular.
- USA: Under OSHA’s lockout/tagout standard, retraining is required when job assignments, machines, processes or procedures change, or when inspections reveal deviations.
- Machine safety: Changes handled through management of change should trigger a check of who needs retraining. Updated instructions without retraining often go unread.
- Evidence: Link refresher training to its trigger and follow it with a competency assessment where the task is safety-critical.
Refresher training vs. initial training
Initial training builds competence for a new role. Refresher training maintains or restores it, and its content should follow the gaps found in the training needs analysis.