Petrofac and Louisiana State University launch the first OPITO approved fire training course in the United States

Petrofac, the international oil & gas facilities service provider and one of the industry’s largest suppliers of training services, is the first training provider in the United States to be approved to deliver the offshore emergency response team member course to the globally recognised standard from OPITO - The Oil & Gas Academy.

The training course, in conjunction with the Louisiana State University, is a five-day offshore emergency response team member course taking place at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Fire and Emergency Training Institute (FETI). Petrofac Training Services can assure customers of increased competence across their staff in undertaking this training, resulting in a safer and more efficient workforce. Furthermore, being the first OPITO-approved fire training course to be launched in the Gulf of Mexico, it is conveniently located for locally based companies and is a move towards a common global standard to ensure consistency across the oil & gas industry.

Gordon Caird, regional manager, Europe and The Americas, Training Services, commented: “Training Services is continually focused on developing competence and minimising risk for its customers. We have been delivering emergency response training approved to standards such as OPITO’s for more than 30 years. The introduction of the new offshore emergency response fire training course with Louisiana State University marks our progress in developing our relations with the university and raising the awareness and understanding of health and safety within the United States.”

To date, 26 countries worldwide use OPITO – The Oil & Gas Academy’s training standards and learning products. Chief executive David Doig said: “A highly skilled workforce is essential for ensuring the health and longevity of the oil & gas industry and the availability of locally delivered and OPITO-approved training in the United States will be of significant value to employers seeking to ensure the safety and competence of their workforce. This approval is a significant step towards seeing high level OPITO-approved emergency response training introduced in key oil & gas provinces across the Americas.”

Jeffrey Gleason, director, LSU FETI, said: “We have been cultivating a relationship with Petrofac over the past few years, realising the potential value of a joint venture and the financial benefits it would provide to our region. Together, with their knowledge of the offshore industry and our combined expertise in fire training, the petrochemical companies in the Gulf of Mexico will now be able to provide better safety for their workers. The approval from OPITO – The Oil & Gas Academy will make the Petrofac-LSU training partnership attractive to the offshore oil & gas industry.”

Petrofac’s offshore emergency response team member course gained approval following a pilot course in April, demonstrating Petrofac and LSU meet OPITO’s stringent standards. The course has now been officially launched and is open to bookings. There is also the additional opportunity for Petrofac to deliver bespoke training according to individual customer requirements.