Offshore Emergency Response Team Member

The OPITO Offshore Emergency Response Team Member (OERTM) Initial Training is the internationally recognised certification programme for personnel appointed to, or about to be appointed to, an Offshore Emergency Response Team on oil and gas installations, Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs), or offshore vessels.

Offshore emergencies demand a fast, coordinated, and competent response. The OERTM Initial Training equips frontline emergency response personnel with the knowledge, practical skills, and confidence to respond effectively to fire, non-fire, and casualty-related incidents in demanding offshore environments. From working with breathing apparatus and charged fire hoses to conducting search and rescue operations across multi-level structures, this programme prepares learners for the full spectrum of emergency scenarios encountered offshore.

Through an intensive blend of classroom instruction and hands-on practical exercises conducted in purpose-built live-fire training facilities, learners develop the technical proficiency and situational awareness required for safe and effective emergency team operations. The programme places strong emphasis on teamwork, communication, dynamic risk assessment, and the proper operation of firefighting and breathing apparatus equipment.

Delivered in accordance with OPITO Product Code 4500, this course satisfies the initial onshore training requirement for OERTM appointment. It forms part of a broader competence framework that also includes workplace training, installation-specific drills, and ongoing assessment conducted offshore.

OERTM Initial Training is required for personnel who have been appointed, or are about to be appointed, as members of an Offshore Emergency Response Team (OERT) on oil and gas installations, Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs), or offshore vessels.

Emergency Response Teams are responsible for responding to fire, hazardous atmosphere incidents, search and rescue situations, and other emergency scenarios that may occur offshore. Personnel selected for these teams must therefore complete specialised training in firefighting, breathing apparatus operations, casualty recovery, and emergency response procedures.

This course is typically undertaken by offshore personnel such as production technicians, maintenance personnel, deck crew, or other installation staff who have been designated by their employer or installation operator to serve as members of the Offshore Emergency Response Team.

The OERTM Initial Training programme equips learners with the necessary knowledge, understanding, and skills to perform the role of Offshore Emergency Response Team Member effectively.

The programme covers offshore emergency response arrangements, hazard recognition, incident response procedures, search and rescue techniques, casualty handling, and the selection and operation of firefighting equipment and breathing apparatus. Training is delivered at an onshore OPITO-approved training centre and incorporates both theoretical learning and intensive practical exercises conducted in live-fire environments.

Learners should recognise that this programme represents the onshore component of a broader OERTM training framework. Company and installation-specific emergency response training, including offshore drills and exercises, forms an integral part of the overall OERTM competence programme.

Note: This programme does not include practical training for accommodation fires involving ventilation fire in compartments where backdraft potential exists. Specialist training in this area should be sought where required.

The objectives of this training are that learners will be able to:

1. Understand the role and responsibilities of the Offshore Emergency Response Team Member, and apply effective teamwork and communication within an emergency response team.
2. Identify and apply offshore emergency response arrangements, including alarm systems, emergency procedures, incident planning, hazard recognition, and the purpose and operation of fixed and portable firefighting systems.
3. Demonstrate correct incident response procedures, including mobilisation, incident briefing, dynamic risk assessment, movement in the incident area, and post-incident debrief.
4. Perform search and rescue operations across multi-level offshore structures in varying visibility conditions, including smoke-filled environments with and without breathing apparatus.
5. Carry out initial casualty assessment and recovery, including the appropriate use of casualty handling equipment.
6. Select and operate the correct firefighting equipment and media to extinguish Class A, Class B, and Class C fires, including the use of hose operations, foam equipment, portable extinguishers, and monitors.
7. Don, operate, and perform wearer checks of working duration breathing apparatus, and apply breathing apparatus control board procedures safely.

The Role of the Offshore Emergency Response Team Member

Learners gain a thorough understanding of the OERTM role within the broader offshore emergency response framework. This unit covers the key responsibilities of the OERTM and the Offshore Emergency Response Team Leader (OERTL), including sub-leadership responsibilities and strategies for maintaining team safety. Human factors affecting emergency response team performance are examined, including the effects of stress, fatigue, and decision-making under pressure.

Communication is central to effective emergency response. Learners examine typical communication hierarchies, incident communication methods and their operational limitations.

The unit also addresses offshore emergency response arrangements in detail, covering key legislation relevant to the OERTM role, emergency alarms and procedures, incident planning and hazard recognition, levels of emergency and the corresponding response actions, emergency management roles, incident control centres, and emergency communication protocols. Learners study fire and non-fire hazards specific to offshore environments, the purpose and limitations of fixed firefighting systems (active and passive), and incident planning and progress monitoring techniques, including dynamic risk assessment and 360-degree assessment.

Incident Response

This unit develops learners’ understanding of the practical procedures, protocols, and activities involved in responding to offshore incidents. Topics covered include OER team mobilisation procedures, the key elements of an incident brief (including location and type of incident, access and egress plans, PPE requirements, communication processes, and withdrawal arrangements), and the considerations and actions required when entering and working in an incident area.

Learners study typical search and rescue procedures, equipment, and techniques applicable to offshore installation design, including operations in open and closed modules, at varying heights and levels, in congested or confined spaces, and across ascending and descending ladders and stairs. Search and rescue scenarios are conducted in a variety of visibility conditions.

Casualty recovery procedures are also covered, including initial casualty assessment, the importance of moving casualties to a safe area, situations where essential first aid may be administered by an OERTM, sources of specialist first aid support, and the correct use of casualty handling equipment, including stretchers, harnesses, and slings.

Practical Exercises for the OERTM

The practical exercises unit consolidates all theoretical learning through intensive, assessed exercises conducted in live-fire training environments. Learners participate as part of a team in a range of fire-related and non-fire-related incident scenarios, including:

• Accommodation fires (multi-level), including galley and laundry fires
• Process area fires (open and closed modules), including internal and external high-pressure and pool fires
• Machinery space fires, including engine rooms and plant rooms
• Fabrication area fires, including workshops and paint stores
• Fires involving closed containers or cylinders
• Unignited gas and liquid releases
• Chemical incidents
• Confined space incidents
• Working at height incidents with restricted access

Each learner must participate in at least one scenario covering all three levels of a multi-level structure, incorporating casualty recovery and hose management with a charged hose. Exercises are designed to assess competency across all practical outcomes, including firefighting equipment selection and operation, breathing apparatus procedures, incident briefing, search and rescue, casualty handling, communication, and post-incident debrief.

• There are no formal prerequisites for OERTM Initial Training.
• All participants must satisfy medical fitness requirements prior to undertaking practical exercises. Participants must hold a valid offshore medical certificate, an operator-approved medical certificate, or complete an appropriate medical screening form as provided by the OPITO-approved Centre.