DOING PAINT INSPECTION OFFSHORE?
Your current certificate is not enough
June 12, 2018
As a paint inspector, you might be asked to go through different types of training in order to oversee certain offshore projects. In order to work on an oil platform in the middle of the sea, you will most likely have to undergo the Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training (BOSIET), including the Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET) with Emergency Breathing System.
Oil and gas companies worldwide require appropriate offshore safety and emergency training from everybody who travels to their offshore assets such as oil platforms. Paint inspectors wanting to get a job at a platform or those who already accepted the job must undergo this safety training as well.
The goal of this training is to teach attendees the generic hazards that can occur at the offshore oil and gas installations, potential risks associated with those hazards and how to eliminate or reduce them. Attendees also need to learn basic emergency response and skills from travelling to and from an offshore installation by helicopter and demonstrate (in a simulated environment) that they can use safety equipment during helicopter emergencies and follow procedures during a crash.
This 3-day training might seem like an easy task to do before a fun ride in a helicopter, however, these impressions are deceptive. Even though the training is only three days, it takes a lot of courage and discipline to finish the course. The training includes physically difficult and potentially stressful elements. Before acceptance to the course, there is a need to provide a medical certificate.
In these three days, participants will learn theory as well as go through a practical training. Safety induction, helicopter safety and escape, sea survival and first aid, and fire fighting and self-rescue are the topics to learn.
The first day is theoretical, the second day starts the real-life practice, which is most likely the hardest part of the entire training. The demonstration of the rescue boats and hands-on experience by visiting one of them is still not the worst part. The real challenge starts in a swimming pool with the helicopter underwater escape training. Students have to actually escape the helicopter simulator. They need to unstrap themselves and leave the helicopter, however, they need to overcome few bumps on the road such as orientate themselves after the simulator twists or kicking out the window on their way to the surface.
“Going underwater and go upside down is the weirdest feeling,” says Richard van der Wal, managing director at Paint-Inspector.Com, “even though you know there is no danger at the moment you need to calm down and think straight.”
The third day continues with CPR training, working with a fire extinguisher and how to behave in a room full of smoke.
Going through additional training after getting your paint inspector certificates (FROSIO, NACE, Icorr etc.) might seem like an unnecessary work, but be sure that you will be glad to have this one! As a paint inspector, there is still a need to educate yourself and overcome some obstacles.
Paint-Inspector.Com is able to provide inspectors with BOSIET and HUET certificates anywhere around the world and currently is working for a leading Oil & Gas company PetroGas to support their maintenance program, and provide needed paint inspectors with BOSIET and HUET certificates.
Our managing director Richard van der Wal during his HUET training.
