Offshore Survival

Over the last ten years or so safety has become the overriding issue in all work related matters on-board a ship. It has reached the stage that crew-members and officers are so bogged down with permits to work, safety signs and regulations that the actual task that they set out to do seems all but impossible to start. Whilst this era of heightened safety awareness has become a nuisance and an assault course to work through there are some benefits, one of which is the fact that training courses are held frequently and continuing on-board drills familiarize personnel with the equipment they will use should an emergency arise. Training and the drills basically enable people faced with emergency situations to react in a prescribed manner, to overcome panic through action orientated tasks and to hopefully improve the outcome of the situation by putting out the fire, surviving on a life raft after the ship has gone down or to save a life by re-enacting life-saving actions.




Officers and crew undertake rigorous courses from First Aid Practices to Fire-Fighting. Those workers offshore, on Rigs and Production Platforms, tend to do slightly less demanding courses that cover three days instead of twenty; an insight into the procedures and practices involved rather than being the team leader during an emergency. The most basic of courses is the Boiset Course (Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training) with included modules that cover Sea Survival, Fire Fighting and Self Rescue, First Aid and Hypothermia and last but not least (the helicopter underwater escape training) HUET course. Seafarers who work in the Offshore Industry, on Anchor Handlers and Supply Vessels may have to do the training prescribed for Offshore Workers because they may need to take a helicopter from the platform or rig to depart their vessel on leave.