Petrofac Training Launches Fourth Emergency Management Simulator in UK

Petrofac Training, the leading provider of competence-led training and consultancy solutions to the international energy industries, launched its fourth UK major emergency management (MEM) simulator at an official opening ceremony at its Altens training centre last night (20 November 2008).

At the launch event customers and industry representatives received a tour of the facility and a demonstration of the new simulator in operation. The £120,000 investment has provided Petrofac Training with a second simulator at its Altens training facility in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Two further MEM simulators are located at the company’s Montrose training centre. Built in response to increased demand for Petrofac Training’s world-renowned MEM courses and assessments for offshore installation managers (OIMs) and control room operators (CROs), the simulator will be accredited to provide formal assessment of OIMs and CROs to OPITO standards.

Petrofac Training’s MEM offering is extremely flexible and has the capability to link the control room in the simulator to Petrofac’s fire training ground in Montrose or its Emergency Response Service Centre (ERSC) in Aberdeen. By doing so a number of realistic potential scenarios can be created and used to assess delegates.

Mike Comerford, Petrofac Training’s regional director - Europe, said: “We have invested in this new facility in response to recent contract work from existing and new oil & gas customers. This has also resulted in the need to recruit three additional experienced members of staff to meet the demand. The new simulator will enhance our ability to deliver these vital training courses and assessment events, and will help to meet the growing demand for our services.”

Chris Allen, Oil & Gas UK’s health, safety, social and environment director, said: “The requirement to carry out realistic emergency management training and competence assessments for OIMs and their teams stems directly from recommendations made by Lord Cullen following the Piper Alpha enquiry. There is real benefit to be gained from using simulators to practice and assess the response to even the most extreme scenarios and I very much welcome the additional training capacity that this new simulator will provide.”