Major Investment Sets Stage For Next 30 Years of Fire Safety Training Excellence in Montrose

Petrofac Training Services today announced a major investment programme to enhance the Fire Training facilities at its pioneering Montrose site, cementing its strategic commitment to the North East and to securing future safety standards in the oil and gas industry.

The £1.5M investment at the 16 acre site - already the most comprehensive of its kind in the world - will allow Petrofac Training Services to build on its 30 year heritage at the site while modernising and upgrading to reflect evolving industry needs and new technologies.

A blended learning approach, which combines hands-on-training, classroom learning and new technology will provide participants with a new and improved training experience and make a major contribution to the development of a competent workforce for the future.

Gordon Caird, Global Director, Petrofac Training Services, said: “This is a major investment for Petrofac, for Montrose and for the future of safety training in the North East.

“It demonstrates the depth of our continued commitment to maintaining and improving safety standards while helping to develop a competent workforce for North Sea operations and indeed around the globe.”

The Montrose facility has been at the heart of the North East’s safety training landscape since it was established in the late 1970s. Since then, as one of Petrofac Training Services’ key assets, it has delivered OPITO (Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation) / JOIFF (Joint Oil and Industry Fire Forum) certified fire training courses to more than 100,000 delegates from the North East’s offshore industries.

A new purpose-built simulation suite will allow participants to perform and review multiple scenarios prior to practical training, enriching the training experience particularly in the vital area of leadership.  After the live-fire practical stage, new IT facilities will also allow performance to be reviewed, along with the consequences of decisions and actions taken.

The overall package, with improved scenarios presented in a controlled and realistic manner, will enhance participants’ training experience ensuring they have the knowledge, tools and confidence that are essential when responding to emergency situations.

The environmental performance of the site will also be substantially improved by converting the live-fire grounds to clean-burning and natural gas, reducing Petrofac’s carbon footprint.

Gordon Caird added: “Many of the groundbreaking techniques and courses used and indeed piloted at Montrose arose from the recommendations of the Cullen Report. Today’s announcement reflects that safety needs continuously evolve and that new technologies are becoming the norm. We are investing in order to modernise, maintain and indeed go beyond existing standards. “

We have been working in Montrose and delivering world class training there for more than 30 years and we are still investing in our business. The North East of Scotland has the potential to lead the way in this area and become a centre of excellence for offshore safety, which will no doubt boost the local economy and increase safety around the world. Here at Petrofac, we are looking forward to being part of this growth.”