UK updates offshore safety training

The UK offshore oil and gas industry has updated safety training standards through an initiative called Step Change in Safety. The update was developed in part as a response to concerns from the work force about the basic safety competence of new employees.

The intention was to improve the consistency of safety training. This is yet another example of companies working together to improve safety.

John Methven, co-chair of Step Change in Safety, said every UKCS worker previously was required to complete basic survival training. But that training did not necessarily cover such topics as risk assessment, process safety, or platform integrity because the content of in-house safety training varied from company to company.

Under the update, new elements were added to the basic training program administered through a registered training center. Methven said the update was made to ensure the same starting level of safety awareness for every employee working in the UK Continental Shelf.

OPITO, the UK’s industry standards organization, reports oil and gas production supports 380,000 jobs in the UKCS. A second phase of Step Change in Safety is aimed at identifying and correcting any gaps in the training program for experienced workers.