The UK offshore oil and gas industry’s flagship safety initiative Step Change in Safety is creating new Opito-approved minimum safety training standards for people working on installations.
The new standards are being developed following concerns raised by the workforce about basic safety competence, particularly for new starts in the industry.
The new set of minimum standards covers nine basic safety elements, including the core topics of risk assessment and permit to work, but also introducing new key safety awareness centred on mechanical lifting and platform integrity.
John Methven, joint chairman of Step Change, said: “Currently, basic safety training is carried out to different depths of understanding and covers varying safety elements.
“Every worker on the UK continental shelf (UKCS) is required to complete basic offshore survival training, however, this does not include training on risk assessment, process safety or platform integrity.
“These elements are normally covered through additional in-house training, but the core content can vary from company to company.
“By undertaking the new additional elements of basic safety training through a registered training centre, every employee working on an installation on the UKCS will have the same starting level of safety understanding and awareness.”
Alan Chesterman, leader of the Step Change in Safety competence work group, which drew up the standards, said: “We didn’t re-invent the wheel; 90% of the content is not new and people will recognise it.”
Recommended for you
