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even those with 30 years of experi- ence, need refreshers. Supervisors and crews are monitoring skill retention, constantly making sure everyone is up to date on safety in areas such as han- dling cargo, abandoning ship and Þ re drills. We refresh on those subjects on a weekly basis. We also capture safety compliance and skills-retention infor- mation through peer reviews.Ó The company has on staff a reg- istered nurse who trains employees in Þ rst aid, CPR and blood borne pathogens, Barousse said. ÒWe send our guys to training facilities for the SafeGulf program, water survival, rig- ging and other things canÕt be done in house and might require a pool, crane or helicopter simulation.ÓTo be fair, industry has not been sitting on its hands; now and in the past. In a program known as SafeGulf Ð one that also pre-dates the Macondo spill Ð BP, Chevron, Shell and Exxon- Mobil developed minimum health, safety and environmental training requirements for contractors. Person- nel needs have increased with greater attention to safety, Barousse said. ÒVessels have more staff than in the past,Ó he noted. ÒOn our small utility vessels, having two captains and two deckhands is relatively new. Less than two decades ago, we ran the same, ex- act vessels with a two-man crew, do- ing the same work theyÕre doing today. More recently, four men are required. That gives you an idea of where weÕve come from.Ó That increase in man- power also comes at a premium. ÒOften times we send a new em- ployee out as an extra crew member, say as a third deckhand, to observe and get trained without actually hav-ing to be relied on to perform the job,Ó Barousse said. ÒWhen we subcontract or ÔbrokerÕ outside vessels, we have to be sure the MN 35www.marinelink.com MN November2013 Layout 32-49.indd 35MN November2013 Layout 32-49.indd 3510/28/2013 3:18:14 PM10/28/2013 3:18:14 PM