Summer Assistants and Volunteers

boatone

boatone

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www.tmba.org.uk
Just received the following information from the EA about Summer Assistants and Volunteers:
Summer Assistants
We have recruited 25 Summer Assistants to provide cover where we need
them. Some have started already, for example at Teddington, and others
will be deployed at lock sites later this week following their training,
currently underway.
We have received very positive feedback about our volunteers and will be
continuing to recruit more over the summer. We thank all our River
Thames boaters for their enthusiasm and continued support with this
initiative.
Click to expand...
 
Is there any truth in the rumour that some volunteers are working 1 day a week, and that under the existing regulations that applied to the paid summer assistants, training is carried out for 2 weeks, i.e 12 days, before being allowed to work unsupervised over the lunch break?

If this is true, it has been pointed out that they will not be working over lunch until September!!!
 
Teddy you are correct with your assumptions.
When they are needed most e.g lunch/tea breaks their experience will not allow them to cover the lock keeper.

Perhaps the manager of volunteers will fall on his sword, his large salary will then
pay for normal summer assistants.
 
I am advised by the relevant people that "The training book that they have to work through states that parts one and two - which takes them to being signed off to cover lunch times - should be completed in two days."

Please also note that the 25 Summer Assistants referred to in the original post are PAID assistants as per the practice in previous years (I met one at Cookham on Sunday) and are in addition to some 70 unpaid volunteers. I understand both Assistants AND volunteers will be able to cover when the lockie is absent once they are 'signed off'.
 
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Apart from the odd minor cock up

"Signed off, in no way reflects the knowledge required to SAFELY run a lock."

It took me at least 10 mins to get the hang of lock operation the first time we came round to the Thames.Loads of newbies have had to get the hang of working locks wether full of other boats or alone every single year since time began......and the last time you ever heard of a problem was ?
Anybody with a bit of training is perfectly capable to do the job at least as well as any
ab initio boater.
 
boatone said:
I am advised by the relevant people that "The training book that they have to work through states that parts one and two - which takes them to being signed off to cover lunch times - should be completed in two days."

Please also note that the 25 Summer Assistants referred to in the original post are PAID assistants as per the practice in previous years (I met one at Cookham on Sunday) and are in addition to some 70 unpaid volunteers. I understand both Assistants AND volunteers will be able to cover when the lockie is absent once they are 'signed off'.
Click to expand...

I have been reliably informed that the training could be done to a sufficient level within two days if it was done midweek in early May, when there is very little traffic. But to do this training on a busy day with non-stop traffic, or even worse on a Sunday with constant queues would be unthinkable.
I am told that the assistant/volunteeer needs to be able to cope with most situations that might arise during the one hour that they would be in charge. That should cover people falling in, accidents, injuries, boats unable to stop, etc... A lockkeeper who signs someone off and puts them into a situation that they cannot handle could be held responsible. If it was your neck on the block, would you sign somebody off before you were sure?

I think we should all trust the lockkeepers judgement on this one. It is in their interests to get people signed off as it makes the day much smoother. I certainly would not envy them, coming out from their well-deserved meal break, to a mouthful of abuse from an irate boater, who sees that the lock was left on self-service when there are two people on site.
 
oldgit said:
"Signed off, in no way reflects the knowledge required to SAFELY run a lock."

It took me at least 10 mins to get the hang of lock operation the first time we came round to the Thames.Loads of newbies have had to get the hang of working locks wether full of other boats or alone every single year since time began......and the last time you ever heard of a problem was ?
Anybody with a bit of training is perfectly capable to do the job at least as well as any
ab initio boater.
Click to expand...

I feel certain that you are on a wind up here.

'getting the hang' and operating a lock site safely and efficiently are two very different things.

Or do you lump the lock-staff into the category of 'unskilled labour' ?
 
"Or do you lump the lock-staff into the category of 'unskilled labour'"


Certainly not my intention under any circumstances,merely that every single boater on the Thames has probably had to take a deep breath and take the long walk up to the console in order to pass through a lock at some point in their life.
If the lack of disasters involving them is any guide,anybody who under takes the training should be capable of minding the shop for 60 mins while the guvnor is away.If there are any problems,it is more likely to be from the sheer volume of boaters trying to get into the lock causing the operator to rush,not follow the protocol and hence get things wrong.
 
Currently heading up towards Sandford lock having left PH marina on Saturday. Have seen more lock staff than ever before, every lock has been staffed during working hours, and evidence of lots of on lock training taking place between lockies and summer asst's\volunteers.
Also (genuine) two rowing coaches at different times on the water have actually given me a wave which is a first in 12 years of Thames boating.
 
Re: Oldgit -

There's a huge difference between operating a lock for your own boat and perhaps one other, and loading a lockfull of boats whose "drivers" may / will be of differing competences.

That latter is what the lockies have to do - take all comers.

Most times there's no problem, especially if the lock is lightly loaded.

However, I (usually) watch the Residents operation of a lock and frequently see them spotting a potential problem which I would have missed had I been running that transit.

All is well until the poo hits the fan, then it's experience, training and procedures that count.

Signing off a person as competent after brief training is too onerous on a lockie, unless there is a caveat to protect him / her - IMHO.
 
What I think people are missing here is the fact that when, 'us public',operate the lock it is a SLOW user safe system that the Lock keeper has switched on, so that there is less chance that any one can do anything wrong. When it is switched to Lock Keeper mode there is a complete override that allows the sluices to be opened at both ends at the same time OR MORE WORRYINGLY the sluices to be opened at one end with the gates open at the other!!!! What, I ask, if the Summer Assistant OR Volunteer has a lack of concentration and/or has had inadequate training and slams the gates by panicking/not thinking and hits someones boat OR God forbid a canoe, skiff or other small boat. I have witnessed Lock Gates slam where the Lockie has been a bit keen to open the sluices at the opposite end with the remote control buttons and I certainly wouldn't want to be in between two 8 tonne gates when they slam. Once the water momentum gets behind a set of lock gates as they start to close NOTHING CAN STOP THEM UNTIL THEY MEET!!! So I for one am happy to be patient and not allow inadequately trained people to operate the locks.
 
Riverleak said:
What I think ..... So I for one am happy to be patient and not allow inadequately trained people to operate the locks.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I was very grumpy a few weeks ago at Chertsey. We we going down and the last boat in. I had guests and had talked them through what to do on ropes... we had a fun practice through PH. One guest is a bit old but quite capable of holding a rope as the boat goes down. But the trainee lock keeper left the top sluices open and it suddenly caused a lot of scary work at the back of the boat. The lock keeper ignored it all. At one point it took three of us to keep the back of the boat in. All the lockie said was "well, he had to learn". Thanks.
 
Gavi said:
Agreed. I was very grumpy a few weeks ago at Chertsey. We we going down and the last boat in. I had guests and had talked them through what to do on ropes... we had a fun practice through PH. One guest is a bit old but quite capable of holding a rope as the boat goes down. But the trainee lock keeper left the top sluices open and it suddenly caused a lot of scary work at the back of the boat. The lock keeper ignored it all. At one point it took three of us to keep the back of the boat in. All the lockie said was "well, he had to learn". Thanks.
Click to expand...

Well that's just one example, I am glad you came out of it unscathed, but what if a canoe or small boat had been next to you and you were not able to hold on to the rope. Could your boat have crushed them? Could someone from your boat have been thrown in the water and injured OR WORSE? What if it was a really large barge next to a skiff?!!!! And I pose a further question who would be responsible? (especially in these times when everyone wants to sue you) I am all for the EA keeping a professional service rather than penny pinching our service for inadequate staff.
 
An extra turn on the rope should have sufficed, the job could have then been completed with one hand on the rope.

Responsibility lies with the Skipper. Always. ;)
 
Not a lot to be gained from chewing this over and over.
Fears and concerns about what 'might' go wrong will always be present, but unless and until things 'do' go wrong the powers that be have decided that Assistants and Volunteers is the way to go so the best we can do as users is to try and help make it work.

I have to say my experience of lock service on the river so far this year has been pretty good.
 
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"There's a huge difference between operating a lock for your own boat and perhaps one other, and loading a lockfull of boats whose "drivers" may / will be of differing competences"


Dicing with almost certain death in a lock on the Medway ? :)

DSCN4376-1.jpg
 
oldgit said:
"There's a huge difference between operating a lock for your own boat and perhaps one other, and loading a lockfull of boats whose "drivers" may / will be of differing competences"


Dicing with almost certain death in a lock on the Medway ?

Sorry to take issue with you, Fred, but for some reason I feel that Mudway users are more competent (whoops) boater than some on the Thames.

I've no real idea, but to my mind there are a lot of boaters here who go out infrequently and are just not interested in the logistics / mechanics of river usage.

Your lovely picture I suspect was of a club or group going up in concert, rather than a mix of unconnected boaters.

The Medway is a much smaller / shorter and conditions are more predictable (?)

Finally, your locks have "proper" equipment, balance beams and handwound sluices. That implies that your local boaters get a lot more involved with the system.

On the upper Upper Thames boating is much more relaxed and I suspect conditions are more like your river.

Not arguing, just trying to get a handle on how other folk operate.
Click to expand...
 
All a bit academic down here now silly flybridge stops us from larking about above Allington lock.

H,mm better make it up with Howard,we may just have time for one last visit to see you lot this year.
 
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