As we all know the risks of working offshore and the logistical difficulties of rescuing and assisting personnel are increasing as the technology for deep water drilling advances and exploration goes further and further offshore.
ATA recently completed a high angle rope training exercise offshore. The aim of this training was to provide fundamental rope rescue knowledge, skills and insight needed to access areas on offshore rigs, lower equipment and patients and rig systems in a safe and efficient manner. Each training section was carefully designed to provide important learning tasks and experiences in a completely dynamic environment.
The difference with this high angle training was potential dangers of an average swell of 6m and boat been able to maintain contact with platform safely. The training was designed to train personal to lower a patient from a platform to an awaiting boat. Just imagine the skill and training required to time and release rigging from a stationary platform to pitching, yawing boat.
Safety, communication and teamwork was at the forefront of each exercise with a debriefing of all parties involved before any exercise took place. Due to the nature of the training, all the exercises were repeated onshore in a controlled environment until the instructor was happy to attempt the rescue exercises offshore.
With rescuers, boat captains, medics, HSE all briefed and trained and the important managers approval, the exercise took place. With both instructors on hand and carefully watching the training was highly successful with all parties playing their roll perfectly allowing for a safe and successful training programme.
