KATRINA Smith is in the admirable position of being one of Scotland’s young, female offshore survival instructors.
Right at the heart of the oil, gas and energy industry, Katrina works at Survivex, a fully equipped, single-site centre designed to prepare the 18,000 people who regularly work offshore to safely handle dangerous, and sometimes life threatening, situations.
The 33-year-old was in turn a swimming pool manager, Alpine ski enthusiast and offshore safety training instructor for internationally recognised training providers before arriving at Survivex in May this year.
One of only a handful of female instructors in the industry, Katrina feels her gender is helpful in a male-dominated workplace.
She said: “I’ve found I help people get rid of any nerves they might be feeling. Our courses can be quite challenging, so it’s important our delegates feel relaxed and comfortable.”
A career spent working with people has equipped Katrina with the skills to deliver the quality of training that Survivex promises, while ensuring that delegates enjoy the time they spend at the state-of-the-art facility.
“Part of my responsibility is to determine the personality of the class, so that their training is appropriate for them,” she said.
“Since joining Survivex, my existing strengths and skills are always being developed, and I can transfer them to each and every training event. No two days are the same and I love the variety that my job offers.”
Katrina’s work at Survivex’s premises in Dyce at times requires her to go further afield to a range of global locations. Aware of the importance of her job, she has herself completed a lot of training courses. “I’m conscious of the serious consequences if training is not done correctly, so our standards are extremely high.”
Survivex trainers are prepared to pull out all the stops to ensure delegates don’t just complete the course but walk away confident they are fully prepared for the challenges that offshore work may throw at them. “We aim to set safety standards”, Katrina says. “Not just meet them.”
Courses lasting between three hours and five days are offered, covering every aspect of safety at work.
Survivex recently added First Aid at Work training and Confined Space training to its already extensive selection. Most of the courses are run in the centre, although they are prepared to bring their training to your workplace, be it to clients own premises or an oil installation in any global location.
“Do not let nerves put you off,” advises Katrina. “One of my favourite and most rewarding parts of my job is seeing people succeed when they doubted themselves at the start of the day.”
Ultimately, Survivex offers a passionate and positive experience to fully prepare you or your colleagues for any situation you may meet in your North Sea workplace.
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