Major Emergency Management – Initial Response Training

The OPITO Major Emergency Management – Initial Response (MEM-IR) training programme is the internationally recognised standard for personnel who are designated to lead, support, or contribute to an Emergency Management Team (EMT) during a major incident. It provides formal training in command, control, communications, and stress management for personnel who may be required to manage or support the management of a major emergency.

Emergencies do not announce themselves. In a major incident such as a well blowout, an accommodation fire, or a gas release escalating toward explosion, the quality of emergency management in the first critical minutes determines the outcome. MEM-IR is designed to bridge the gap between operational experience and the ability to manage a major emergency effectively under pressure, covering topics such as managing information, prioritising actions, directing teams, maintaining communication with both internal and external stakeholders, and sustaining personal performance in the face of stress.

The programme combines targeted classroom theory with intensive, realistic command centre simulation exercises. Each delegate role-plays as the Emergency Manager (EM) in a minimum of two major emergency scenarios, receiving detailed individual performance appraisal after each exercise. This approach ensures that theoretical learning is immediately tested and reinforced in conditions that closely mirror real-world emergency management challenges. Upon completion, delegates receive an OPITO-approved MEM-IR certificate and a written gap analysis of their emergency management knowledge and performance. The certificate has no formal expiry date.

MEM-IR is delivered in accordance with OPITO Product Code 7228 and serves as the recommended foundation for personnel progressing towards the OIM Controlling Emergencies (OIM-CE) competence assessment.

MEM-IR is designed for personnel who are designated as being in charge of, members of, or providing support to an Emergency Management Team during a major emergency. This includes Offshore Installation Managers (OIMs) and their deputies preparing for the OIM Controlling Emergencies assessment, emergency response coordinators and duty emergency managers, control room supervisors and senior operators, offshore and onshore emergency management team members, and personnel newly appointed to emergency management responsibilities.

With its focus on scenario-based learning and individual performance feedback, MEM-IR is equally valuable as both an initial qualification and a structured development programme for personnel working in high-consequence environments. There are no formal prerequisites. The programme is open to personnel who are designated as, or are developing towards, a role within an Emergency Management Team.

The Major Emergency Management – Initial Response Training (OPITO Product Code 7228) equips personnel with the formal training required to lead and support an Emergency Management Team in responding to a major emergency. The programme addresses the full cycle of emergency management response: from preparation and maintaining a state of readiness, through initial response, information management, team command, and stress management.

Twenty-six Guided Learning Hours are delivered over consecutive days. Approximately 35% of the programme is classroom-based, covering emergency management theory, pre-scenario briefings, and structured discussions, and approximately 65% of the programme is spent in the command centre simulator running and debriefing simulated emergency scenarios. A maximum of six delegates attend each programme.

Upon completion of MEM-IR, delegates will have demonstrated the ability to:

1. Review, manage, and assess the information available in an emergency situation in a timely manner.
2. Establish priorities and take effective action.
3. Implement predetermined emergency plans and procedures in the context of the current emergency.
4. Efficiently communicate information and instructions to internal and external stakeholders.
5. Keep appropriate agencies informed throughout the emergency.
6. Monitor and control resources.
7. Evaluate progress and communicate changes in plans and priorities.
8. Effectively delegate authority and manage individuals and teams.
9. Recognise the effects of stress on individuals and teams and apply appropriate management strategies.

Module 1 – Theory of Major Emergency Management (OIS-195)

The theory module provides the foundational knowledge framework for emergency management. This learning is delivered through classroom instruction, group discussion, and structured facilitation, and covers the following areas:

Outcome 1: Major Emergency Types and the Manager’s Responsibilities

• Classification of major emergency types and relevant safety regulations
• Key emergency factors: people, environment, asset, resources, and support
• The manager’s responsibility for non-essential and responding personnel both onsite and within specific distances of the incident
• Evaluating the potential for escalation and the distinction between slow and rapid escalation
• Evaluating available resources required to deal with emergencies

Outcome 2: The Emergency Manager Role

• The critical differences between normal management and emergency management
• Factors to consider during an emergency: uncertainty, ambiguity and conflicting information; shifting and competing goals; time pressure and stress implications; multiple players and team dynamics; and personal factors
• Concerns and apprehensions of the emergency manager
• Roles and responsibilities of the Emergency Management Team (EMT) and Emergency Response Team (ERT)
• Principles of delegation and time management under pressure

Outcome 3: The Emergency Command Centre (ECC) – Facilities and Information Management

• ECC ergonomics and equipment requirements
• Information Management System (IMS) characteristics, including personnel tracking, hazardous material information, weather data, firefighting resource status, resource availability and ETA, and event logging
• Benefits of using an IMS and contingency paper-based systems

Outcome 4: Pre-Planning and Maintaining a State of Readiness

• The requirement for the EMT and emergency personnel to maintain a permanent state of readiness
• The Emergency Response Plan (ERP), company procedures, and operations manuals
• Value and purpose of emergency pre-planning and risk assessment
• Purpose of drills and exercises for the EMT, for the emergency manager personally, and for confirming the serviceability and sufficiency of emergency equipment
• Maintaining familiarity with emergency resources both on the asset and externally

Outcome 5: Dealing with Stress

• Sources of stress during emergencies and stress factors: irritability, aggression, poor communication, inability to retain information, disengagement, task fixation, and task switching
• The effect of time pressure and information overload on decision-making capability
• Reduction in short- and long-term memory during an incident
• Effective strategies for delegating, maintaining activities, reducing stress in self and others, replacing stressed personnel, and regrouping and reassessing

Module 2 – Practical Elements of Major Emergency Management (OIS-194)

The practical module places each delegate in the role of Emergency Manager in a minimum of two different simulated emergency scenarios within the command centre simulator. Scenarios are selected from three levels of complexity:

• Type A – a major emergency that is readily controllable if managed appropriately
• Type B – a major emergency that could escalate if not controlled
• Type C – a major emergency that the Emergency Manager is unable to control, leading to full evacuation of the facility

All scenarios must cover threats to life, threats to the environment, and threats to plant and equipment. Across the range of scenarios, the assessment must incorporate appropriate combinations of the following elements:

• Evacuation or abandonment of the facility by air, land, or sea
• Injured personnel or loss of life
• Missing personnel or man overboard
• Loss of communication
• Loss of containment
• Multiple casualties
• Loss of evacuation routes, muster points, or temporary refuge
• Stressed personnel (individual ineffectiveness or mass panic)
• Extreme weather conditions
• Environmental concerns and effects
• Loss of essential facilities
• Loss of key personnel
• Rapidly developing situation leading to information overload
• Loss of positioning (where appropriate)

The nine practical outcomes assessed are:

1. Review, manage, and assess available information in a timely manner
2. Establish priorities and take effective action
3. Implement predetermined emergency plans and procedures in the context of the current emergency
4. Efficiently communicate information and instructions
5. Communicate effectively with all appropriate external agencies
6. Monitor and control resources
7. Evaluate progress and communicate changes in plans and priorities
8. Effectively delegate authority and manage individuals and teams
9. Effectively manage themselves and the team, including managing the effects of stress in themselves and others

Prior to the first scenario, a table-top discussion prepares delegates for what is expected of them. In some exercises the scenario is introduced without prior warning to replicate real emergency conditions. A post-exercise debrief is conducted after each scenario, with the appraiser providing structured feedback on the individual’s and team’s strengths and areas for development. Delegates who demonstrate performance gaps during the programme receive a written performance appraisal; identified gaps are addressed through further company-directed training and drills.

• There are no formal OPITO prerequisites for the MEM-IR training programme. The course is open to all personnel who are designated as, or are developing towards, a role within an Emergency Management Team.
• Medical screening is required. As the programme includes physically demanding and potentially stressful practical elements, delegates must complete an appropriate medical screening form prior to participating in practical exercises. The OPITO-approved Centre will retain a record of the delegate’s declaration of fitness. Delegates with pre-existing medical conditions should consult a medical officer familiar with the nature of the training if any doubt exists regarding their fitness to participate.

While the certification has no expiry period, it is recommended that participants undergo additional exercises every 3 years.