OPITO | Defining safety standards in oil and gas

What is OPITO?

OPITO is the not-for-profit organisation that defines the standards in the offshore oil and gas industry. By continually reviewing the safety course curriculum OPITO makes sure that working offshore continually gets safer and less hazardous.

OPITO is a global organisation with offices all around the world. Since 1991 the organisation has set the bar for safety in the oil and gas industry. Each year it is training more than 250,000 people around the world.

The purpose of the organisation is, in closely cooperation with industry stakeholders, to:

"Develop a safe and skilled energy workforce, by:

• Driving global standards and qualifications
• Creating workforce development solutions
• Leading dialogue with industries and governments."

Please see: https://www.opito.com/about-us

What does it mean to be OPITO certified?

Many different companies supply safety courses. However, the different suppliers all have to meet the same standard. That is where OPITO comes into the picture.

By having general standards, companies and governments can make sure that all personnel working in the oil and gas industry are equally well trained. And that people operating at remote offshore installations can handle many types of risk scenarios. Being a long away from shore means that help will most likely come from your co-workers before any shore-based rescue efforts arrive.

To be OPITO certified simply means to have finished a course or training which meets the OPITO standards.

What Does OPITO approved mean?

OPITO approved means that the safety training provider is approved by OPITO. That entails a wide variety of demands and operating standards. All for the benefit of the delegates who can feel safe in knowing that the certification and training meets the OPITO standards.

OPITO approved courses

Companies that offer safety training to personnel in the oil and gas industry have to be approved by OPTIO. That means that the courses they offer live up to the standards set by OPITO.

People in need of safety training or their sponsors have to make sure that OPITO has approved and certified the safety course they are about to embark on. Otherwise, the training won't qualify the student to work offshore. Some of the most basic safety courses are known as BOSIET, HUET, and FOET.

OPITO global standards

Global standards are an essential part of the offshore industry. It would simply be impossible and much too dangerous to work offshore if there was no guidelines and common ways of asserting risk and handle high-risk situations. OPITO global standards are a guarantee that all people living and working offshore can handle most imaginable situations.

What is OPITO BOSIET?

The Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training, also known as BOSIET, is the foundation of working safely offshore. The course provides students with basic knowledge about first aid, firefighting, risk assessments, and about the safety protocols living and working offshore. The BOSIET course is a three-day course. The certification lasts four years and has to be renewed within four years. To renew the certificate, you need a FOET course.

OPITO FOET - the refresher course

After successfully finishing the BOSIET training the certification lasts four years. However, to uphold the license to work offshore, all personnel must take the refresher course called FOET. It stands for further offshore emergency training. As the name implies, this course refreshes existing skills for the individuals working offshore.

What is a OPITO HUET course?

One of the most required OPITO standardised courses is known as HUET. The abbreviation stands for helicopter underwater escape training. It is an excellent example of a training course that teaches the same way to exit a submerged helicopter. The skills taught during a HUET course are the same whether you are in Mumbai or Schiphol.

OPTIO T-BOSIET and T-HUET

Sometimes a T is added to the course title. The T stands for tropical and is a way to describe that the course aims at employees working in tropical regions. The warmer climate and sea temperatures set a slightly different stage for handling risks and safety, and an employee must be aware of the different requirements the tropical climate entails.

What does OPITO mean?

OPITO is the body that governs the safety standards in the oil and gas industry.

OPITO on LinkedIn

One of the ways to keep up with news and updates from OPITO is to follow the organisation on LinkedIn. Here you can see upcoming events and learn more about the latest trends and insights in the industry. It is also an excellent place to look out for new safety courses. If you are interested in working at OPITO in one of the many offices around the world, the LinkedIn profile page is the place for you.

OPITO courses on YouTube

A great way to get an insight into the many different courses certified by OPITO is to go on YouTube. Here you can find anything from a few seconds long video clip of an exercise to an entire sequence of a simulated helicopter emergency landing on water.

Getting to know the exercise before you perform them yourself is an excellent way to prepare for a course. So, if you are about to embark on a BOSIET, FOET or HUET course, YouTube is an obvious platform to spend some time on.

You can either see official OPITO submission on the official channel videos or try to type in the name of the course.