Oil and gas industry skills body Opito has announced changes to its underwater safety training for the Gulf of Mexico’s offshore workforce.
The Tropical Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (THUET), part of Opito’s Tropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction Emergency Training standard (TBOSIET), covers getting out of a helicopter in the event of a ditching or controlled landing on sea as well as rig abandonment and sea survival.
The training takes an individual through many scenarios to get them comfortable with a safe evacuation of the helicopter whether it is upright or submerged and upside down.
Opito has now extended the length of the course from four hours to a full day, to be repeated every four years.
“The new training standard meets the criteria of all the various operating companies in the region and it is anticipated that more training centres will be seeking accreditation from Opito to run these courses as demand increases,” said Albert Skiba, Opito vice president for the Gulf of Mexico.
“In the last three years Opito has been raising awareness in the Gulf of Mexico of our offshore safety training standards, recognised to be the best in the world, and as a result the number of training centres in the region certified to run Opito courses has doubled.”
The body is hoping that the TBOSIET, which is currently not mandatory in the Gulf of Mexico, will eventually become a statutory requirement in the region as operators accept the value of this three day course over what is currently being delivered.
“To date survival training in the Gulf of Mexico has been sporadic with no common standard and no common quality control,” Skiba said.
“The new THUET standard goes well beyond what is outlined by the BSEE Bureau of Safety Environment and Enforcement by the US government and is designed to give offshore workers the knowledge, competence and confidence they need to remain safe and in the event of an incident while travelling to work.
“The initial feedback has been positive with trainees saying they felt more engaged in the training and would be able to apply what they learned in an emergency situation.”
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