Stream Marine Training Secures OPITO Approval

 

The safety training company has been named an OPITO (Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Board) approved training center achieving certification for its Offshore Emergency Response Team Member course.

 

OPITO is a global leader in standards, competence and skills for the oil and gas industry. It has been setting standards for the oil and gas industry since 1991 to improve workforce safety and competency.

 

Stream Marine Training CEO Martin White said it is the only Scottish firm outside Aberdeen to have secured this specific OPITO approval, which is widely recognized as one of the most rigorous training accreditations in the oil and gas sector.

 

The announcement comes hot on the heels of a major project to refurbish SMT’s newly purchased 20,000 sq ft headquarters at Glasgow Airport.

 

“This is our first OPITO approval, which give us status as an OPITO approved training centre,” White said. “This is an extremely hard standard to secure effectively dictated by oil and gas work groups, made up of industry representatives from the oil majors, training providers and trade associations. It is the result of an exceptional team effort which will now open up new markets and possibilities for SMT.

 

“SMT has gained approval for our Offshore Emergency Response Team Member course and a further refresher which needs to be taken every two years. It guarantees a world-class standard of training for our clients. The approval process was lengthy and robust taking around 12 months to complete. In the lead up we developed new courses, teaching material and invested in new equipment and new management systems. We had OPITO auditors with us for every day throughout the duration of the course before gaining approval.

 

“Safety standards remain of paramount importance to the oil and gas sector and have become increasingly strident ever since the Piper Alpha North Sea incident in 1988. It is our mission to be recognized by industry as a world-class training centre for the offshore industry, shipping companies, cruise line operators, maritime engineering firms and shipyards. In addition, we can work with companies in the highways, rail and construction sectors.”

 

SMT General Manager Brian Wares said the high-grade approval will boost global appeal with more than 250,000 people per year training to OPITO standards. Meanwhile. SMT’s new state-of-the-art facility at Glasgow Airport, working in tandem with a survival craft training centre at James Watt Dock on the Clyde Estuary, is well placed to further attract overseas custom.

 

Founded in 2014 SMT specialises in providing fire-fighting, sea survival, rescue craft and health and safety courses to the maritime, oil and gas, renewables and construction sectors. In just two years’ turnover has grown rapidly to circa £2 million with 22 full-time staff and 15 consultants. The airport HQ expansion is expected to create a further 10 full-time jobs in the next 12 months.

 

“We currently run around 40 accredited courses and work with more than 100 clients issuing around 700 certificates a month,” Wares said. “We are now working towards further OPITO standards.

 

“Within the oil and gas and offshore industries there is a particular emphasis on firefighting training. One area which really sets us apart from competitors is the background and experience of our trainers, who are former RAF and Scottish Fire & Rescue Service recruits. 

 

“Flexibility and innovation are also key to our approach. We can deliver training on vessels or assets anywhere in the globe. We work around language barriers and provide on-to-one care to manage any trainee stress which can be experienced in physical training environments.”