Tropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training (T-BOSIET)

The OPITO Tropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (T-BOSIET) is the internationally recognised entry-level offshore safety and survival certification required for personnel travelling to offshore oil and gas installations in tropical environments.

Working offshore in a tropical region exposes personnel to a unique set of hazards, from helicopter travel and marine evacuation to fire emergencies and offshore-specific environmental risks. The T-BOSIET programme ensures that every person travelling offshore has the foundational knowledge and proven practical skills to protect themselves and respond effectively when it matters most.

Through a combination of classroom instruction and intensive pool-based and practical exercises, learners develop competence across four core areas: offshore safety awareness and hazard identification, helicopter underwater escape and survival, sea survival and emergency first aid, and firefighting and self-rescue. Training is conducted using purpose-built facilities, including a Helicopter Underwater Escape Trainer (HUET) and live firefighting equipment, providing realistic, immersive preparation for real offshore emergencies.

Delivered in accordance with OPITO Product Code 5501, T-BOSIET certification is valid for four years and satisfies the initial offshore safety training requirements for personnel new to or returning to offshore oil and gas operations in tropical regions. The corresponding refresher programme is the Tropical Further Offshore Emergency Training (T-FOET).

T-BOSIET training is required for personnel travelling to offshore oil and gas installations in tropical regions, particularly those working on offshore platforms, FPSOs, drilling rigs, and floating production facilities. Most offshore operators require personnel to hold a valid OPITO T-BOSIET certificate before travelling offshore for the first time.

The T-BOSIET programme introduces learners to the safety issues, hazards, and emergency response procedures relevant to offshore oil and gas installations operating in tropical environments. It equips personnel with the fundamental knowledge and practical skills required to travel safely to and from offshore installations by helicopter and to respond appropriately to potential emergency situations encountered during offshore travel and offshore operations.

Through a combination of classroom instruction and practical exercises, learners develop an understanding of offshore safety management systems, hazard awareness, helicopter emergency response procedures, tropical sea survival techniques, basic first aid, and firefighting and self-rescue. Training meets the initial offshore safety and emergency response training requirements for personnel new to or returning to the offshore oil and gas industry in a tropical environment.

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

1. Identify the generic hazards specific to offshore oil and gas installations, the potential risks associated with those hazards, and how controls are put in place to eliminate or reduce risks.
2. Identify key offshore safety regulations and explain the basic principles of offshore safety management.
3. Demonstrate, in a simulated environment, that they can use safety equipment and follow procedures in preparing for and during helicopter emergencies, with particular focus on escaping from a helicopter following ditching in a tropical environment.
4. Demonstrate sea survival and emergency first aid techniques appropriate to tropical offshore operations.
5. Demonstrate effective use of basic firefighting equipment and practise self-rescue techniques in low-visibility environments, including smoke-filled areas.

Safety Induction

The Safety Induction introduces learners to the offshore operating environment, key hazards, and the regulatory and management frameworks that govern safety in the offshore oil and gas industry. Topics covered include typical offshore installation types and layouts, the key legislation applicable to offshore oil and gas operations, and the basic principles of offshore safety management systems.

Learners study the full spectrum of offshore hazards and associated risk levels, including pressure hazards, motion hazards, chemical hazards, electrical hazards, gravity hazards, noise hazards, radiation hazards, and confined space hazards. The principles of hazard identification and risk assessment are introduced, together with the hierarchy of controls and the role of permit-to-work systems in managing high-risk activities.

The induction also covers offshore emergency management arrangements, including installation alarms and communication systems, muster stations and temporary refuge procedures, emergency roles and responsibilities, and the personal actions expected of all offshore personnel before, during, and after an emergency. Learners are introduced to the concept of personal responsibility for safety and the importance of applying safety principles consistently throughout their time offshore.

Helicopter Safety and Escape — Tropical

This unit prepares learners for offshore helicopter travel in tropical environments, covering the theoretical knowledge required for safe travel together with a progressive series of practical escape exercises conducted in our purpose-built pool using a Survival Systems METS™ (Modular Egress Training Simulator) Model 40, supervised by OPITO-qualified HUET safety divers.

Theoretical learning covers pre-flight briefing requirements, pre-boarding procedures (arrival time, correct dress, documentation, prohibited articles, and check-in), and in-flight safety requirements. Helicopter emergency awareness topics include how to inform the crew of observed emergencies (fire, smoke, fuel leaks, or abnormal conditions), in-flight emergency procedures, aircraft flotation characteristics, emergency escape routes, survival techniques following ditching or emergency landing, aviation lifejacket donning, brace positions, and HUET evacuation procedures (locate, release, evacuate). Aviation liferaft deployment, initial actions, and secondary actions on boarding are also covered.

Practical helicopter escape exercises are completed in progressive sequence in the HUET pool facility:

• Donning an aviation lifejacket
• Actions in preparing for a helicopter ditching or emergency landing
• Evacuating from a helicopter trainer following a controlled emergency descent to a dry landing
• Dry evacuation into an aviation liferaft from a helicopter ditched on water, including push-out window operation, with initial liferaft actions
• Escaping from a partially submerged helicopter through an underwater window exit, without push-out window
• Escaping from a partially submerged helicopter through an underwater window exit, with push-out window operation
• Escaping from a capsized helicopter without push-out window
• Escaping from a capsized helicopter with push-out window operation
• Inflating an aviation lifejacket, deploying a spray visor, and boarding an aviation liferaft from the water

Sea Survival and First Aid

This unit covers emergency evacuation procedures, sea survival techniques, and emergency first aid relevant to offshore operations in tropical environments. Learners gain a thorough understanding of the types of offshore emergencies that may require evacuation (including floating installations such as FPSOs and drilling rigs), station bills and mustering procedures, escape routes and abandonment locations, and the various means of escape available on offshore installations.

Learners study the types, functions, and capabilities of Totally Enclosed Motor-Propelled Survival Craft (TEMPSC), including mustering, boarding, and strapping-in procedures, safety precautions during lowering and release, and emergency equipment and supplies. Tertiary escape methods are covered including knotted rope, scramble net, davit-launched liferaft, ladders, and person descending escape devices. The SAR organisation, rescue methods available offshore (standby vessel, FRC, MRRD, net, basket, and ladder), and helicopter rescue procedures (single and double strop, basket) are also addressed.

Practical exercises include:

• Mustering, donning a lifejacket, and boarding and strapping in as a TEMPSC passenger
• Boarding a marine liferaft from the water, carrying out initial actions (mooring lines, sea anchor, raft maintenance) and secondary actions (lookouts, radio beacons, first aid)
• Water entry and correct precautions when entering from a height
• Fitting and using a helicopter rescue device (single or double strop or basket)
• Individual in-water survival techniques: swimming, HELP position, and wave slap protection
• Group in-water survival techniques: towing, chain, huddle, and circle formations, followed by rescue by a recognised offshore method

Emergency first aid training covers the assessment and immediate management of casualties in offshore emergency situations, including recognising and responding to life-threatening conditions, performing CPR, managing unconscious casualties, and providing basic first aid until trained medical personnel are available.

Firefighting and Self-Rescue

This unit develops learners’ competence in basic firefighting and self-rescue techniques applicable to offshore environments. Learners study fire triangle and fire classification principles, onboard fire hazards, the basic principles of fire prevention, and the correct selection and use of portable firefighting equipment for Class A and Class B fires.

Practical firefighting exercises include the correct response to onboard fire incidents, raising the alarm, selecting and operating the appropriate portable fire extinguisher for the fire class involved (water, dry powder, foam, and CO2), and using a fire hose reel.

Self-rescue training focuses on the skills and techniques required to escape from smoke-filled areas and areas of reduced or zero visibility, including the correct use of smoke hoods or emergency escape breathing devices where provided. Learners practise escape route navigation, door-checking procedures, and the importance of maintaining low proximity to the floor in smoke-filled environments.

• Participants must hold a valid offshore medical certificate or equivalent medical fitness certification, in accordance with OPITO medical entry requirements.