Refresher training is an aspect of retraining taken by a person already qualified or previously assessed as competent in a field with the intention of updating skills and/or knowledge to a changed standard, or providing the opportunity to ensure that no important skills or knowledge have been lost due to lack of use.
In industry it is also used to upgrade performance of personnel faced with workplace changes or who use obsolete, deprecated, or outdated work procedures, as a method for improving productivity, customer service, employee satisfaction and retention, and workplace health and safety.
[1] In the simplest case, the candidate will demonstrate skills in a real or simulated exercise, and may be required to also pass a written or oral examination.
A safety culture survey or audit may indicate that safe practices are not sufficiently implemented, and may indicate a need for specific or general refresher training, or the personnel may indicate that they feel a need for it.
An accident or near miss often points to a deficiency in a safety program, as unsafe practices are more often the consequence of inadequate knowledge and understanding than intentional contraventions by employees, who generally prefer to avoid being injured.