continuous assessment of ATC's

[lypton village]

Hello

I work in a busy railway signalling centre controlling train movements.I don't rate our assessments at all,if our manager happens to be on the operating floor when the sh*t hits the fan some written observations may be made.We have simulators dotted around the country,but we never get sent on them to refresh incidents that aren't everyday.

What's the score with ATC's?
Do you have simulators that you get sent on every six months or something ,written exams..

I know this is an ATC forum and what you do seems very intense, but I was just trying see the differences as our worlds aren't too far apart.

Cheers

LV

[Gonzo]

It varies, but most units have a comprehensive Local Competency Scheme, where each ATCO is continually assessed by a qualified Examiner (LCE - Local Competency Examiner), and a yearly check is done. There is also a yearly session of TRUCE (TRaining in Unusual Circumstances and Emergencies) which might consist of simulator time. The LCE will regularly work with each ATCO he or she is responsible for, and also listen to several tapes of the ATCO's work over the year. I am one of those LCEs, and in line with my unit's LCS, I make notes on each of 'my' ATCOs at least once every three months, noting anything of interest, especially the good points and where he/she might improve.

[5milesbaby]

to add to the above, if you happen to have any incidents then your LCE manager tends to get involved to discuss why it happenned and see if anything can be done to stop it happenning again.

[Jerricho]

Here in the Frozen North, checks are done every 6 months regarding proficiency. Tape checks are also done "without notice" to ensure correct phraseology is being used. A KVT (knowledge verification test) is also required every 12 months to ensure the book smarts are still there as well.

We also undertake "refresher" training, which is like the UK TRUCE program, involving classroom discussion/presentation as well as simulation (radar failure procedures, lost aircraft etc......).

[Tarq57]

I guess our worlds aren't that far apart. I have hardly any idea how railway control/signalling works; only that if there's a breakdown the results can be serious. In ATC a single breakdown shouldn't cause a collision, in any accident there is a chain of events, (revealed later), the interruption of any one prevents a potential accident. The safety teams in our part of the world work on analysing where previously unforeseen hazards may contribute to a problem, and developing a fix. Hopefully similar in your world.
We do an assessment every year with a check instructor, plus a full days training yearly in which such things as past incidents, procedure changes, any weak areas are discussed. It's organised by one or both of the senior controllers training/standards. In addition, in the event an individual is having problems, various options are available, ranging from a chat with the team leader to a period of some type of re-training.
Working in a team environment is pretty good for safety/morale etc. Everyone is monitoring everyone else, not in a big-brother sort of way, and there is a lot of support. The main weakness is where management drives the introduction of "efficiency" based procedures that are sometimes poorly thought out or needlessly complex. This happens too often here, and I suspect in many other parts of the world, too.:ugh:

[lypton village]

Thanks for the replies people

Yours seems to be more strigent than us

Thanks again:)