Marina Dock Age, July/August 1997

Make Time for Training
by Gene Spinazola

Baseball teams all have spring training. Before they start playing for all the marbles or whatever it is they play for, they have some practice games to get ready for the real games. We’re not talking about OJT, or on-the-job training; we’re talking about BJT, before-the-job training. And that’s something that marina operators need to do too. I know that this concept may be somewhat difficult to get used to, but at least give it a glance.

Think back to last summer: It was hectic. Only half of the staff returned. And remember the new gas dock attendant, young Jack Daniels? After that boat exploded at the fuel dock, all we saw from him was tail lights.

Every year you deal with the same situations: get the docks in, moorings set, grass cut, rest rooms clean, OSHA requirements met, and the list goes on and on.  

You need to hold spring training when the timing’s right for you because spring hits at different times for different marinas. In Maine, for example, spring lasts until the 4th of July and then we start fall. Yet we have the same hectic pace here that you do in every other part of the country: When the weather starts to get warm—it’s kind of like dandelions—people start popping up at the marina.

Don’t wait until fall and then say, “Next year, we need to do some emergency planning and training with the employees.” It’s time to do that now.

One of the best programs you can offer is a lesson in the care and use of fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers are the single most effective piece of fire fighting equipment available on the market. It’s true: Little red fire extinguishers put out more fires than big red fire trucks.  

Set aside an hour in the workday for extinguisher training. Don’t assume anything about the basics and don’t think that “because we did this last year” everyone remembers. First, you have some new employees, and second, learning is improved by repetition.

Explain the burning process and the four classes of fire. Explain how to recognize each type of fire extinguisher used in the marina and how each one works to extinguish a fire. Have your staff discharge several extinguishers and emphasize PASS: Pull the pin; Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire; Squeeze the trigger; and Sweep the agent back and forth to blanket the fire.  

Impress on your staff that their own personal safety is always number one on the priority list and the safety of others is the second priority. Continue »