How often do you need to complete refresher training? or would you base it on those who are not working at height would require training more often than others. Please don't go on about the regulations as I cannot see were it states a difinitive time scale and I know that I need the correct access equipment and I know about the risk assessment and what it says.

I think it would depend on the type and frequency of WAH. Most other types of training tend to work on a 3 year refresher training, we have a "rescue from height kit" which was provided as part of a training package (WAH included) from a course provider. Although the course provider agreed on 3 years, we ensure that the rescue kit is used annually in order to maintain familiarisation (touch wood for training purposes).

As you surmise, there is no one answer to that. Where people have been trained by competent trainers and you have adequate processes of supervision, monitoring and good embedded safety behaviours, then why would you necessarily contemplate refresher training at all? There's nothing more tedious than being dragged off the job for a regurgitation of the same "training" over and over again. Training is expensive and must add value to the undertaking. Tedious refresher training can get H&S a bad name. Rather focus your efforts on ensuring that the initial training sticks and invest in additional training when new kit or techniques are introduced. For those who do not routinely work at height, formal training needn't be the answer either. The infrequent visitor to site can often be placed under the direct supervision of others - much depends on the task, nature of hazards involved and the environment.

Thanks for the responses. I thought as much but didn't want to offer the advice if I had missed something in the regs. We always train when using new equipment i.e. PAL for cherry picker, PASMA, etc. We were looking in line with the various courses i.e. PAL being five years.