BOSIET with EBS | Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training with EBS

Introduction

The OPITO Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training with Emergency Breathing System (BOSIET with EBS) is the internationally recognised entry-level offshore safety and survival certification required for personnel travelling to offshore oil and gas installations who will be supplied with a rebreather Emergency Breathing System (EBS) during helicopter travel.

Working offshore exposes personnel to a unique set of hazards, from helicopter ditching scenarios and marine emergencies to fires and other high-risk industrial incidents. Before travelling offshore for the first time, or returning after an extended absence, personnel must demonstrate the foundational safety knowledge and emergency response skills required to protect themselves and others in the offshore environment.

Through a combination of classroom instruction and intensive practical exercises, learners develop competence across four core areas: offshore safety awareness and hazard identification, helicopter underwater escape and EBS operation, sea survival and emergency first aid, and firefighting and self-rescue. The helicopter escape training element uses a progressive HUET exercise sequence that integrates EBS throughout, building from dry familiarisation to full capsize scenarios with push-out windows and EBS deployed.

Delivered in accordance with OPITO Product Code 5700, BOSIET with EBS certification is valid for four years. The corresponding refresher programme is the Further Offshore Emergency Training with EBS (FOET with EBS).

Who Needs BOSIET with EBS Training?

BOSIET with EBS training is required for personnel travelling to offshore oil and gas installations by helicopter in non-tropical regions where a rebreather EBS is issued. Most offshore operators and contractors require personnel to hold a current OPITO BOSIET certificate before travelling offshore for the first time. This includes personnel working on fixed platforms, FPSOs, drilling rigs, and other offshore structures in regions such as the North Sea, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

Scope

The BOSIET with EBS programme introduces learners to the specific safety issues and regimes relevant to offshore installations, equipping them 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.

Through a combination of classroom instruction and practical exercises, learners develop an understanding of offshore safety management systems, hazard awareness, helicopter emergency response with EBS equipment, sea survival techniques, basic first aid, and firefighting and self-rescue. The programme meets the initial offshore safety and emergency response training requirements for personnel travelling offshore by helicopter who will be issued with a rebreather EBS.

General Course Objectives

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

1. Identify the generic hazards specific to offshore oil and gas installations, 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, including the correct deployment and use of Emergency Breathing System (EBS) equipment.
4. Demonstrate sea survival and emergency first aid techniques.
5. Demonstrate effective use of basic firefighting equipment and practise self-rescue techniques in low-visibility environments including smoke-filled areas.

Course Content

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 with Emergency Breathing System (EBS)

This unit prepares learners for offshore helicopter travel, covering both the theoretical knowledge required for safe travel and 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. Learners are made aware of the range of aviation transit suits in use across different operating regions and the importance of familiarising themselves with the specific suit they will be issued before boarding.

Helicopter emergency awareness covers how to inform the crew of observed emergencies (fire, smoke, fuel leaks, or abnormal conditions), in-flight emergency procedures (including donning the hood and ensuring the survival suit is fully zipped), aircraft flotation characteristics, emergency escape routes for ditching and emergency landing, and survival techniques following ditching or emergency landing on water or land. Learners study aviation lifejacket donning, brace positions across all seating and harness types, HUET evacuation procedures (locate, release, evacuate), and aviation liferaft deployment, initial actions, and secondary actions on boarding. The principles of EBS, EBS duration, and flotation dynamics associated with EBS use are also covered, together with the use of Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) where applicable.

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

• Donning an aviation transit suit, aviation lifejacket, and EBS equipment, and conducting EBS integrity checks
• Deploying, operating, and breathing from EBS equipment at atmospheric pressure in dry conditions
• Deploying, operating, and breathing from EBS in a pool, experiencing positive and negative pressure from body orientation in water
• 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 EBS deployment and push-out window operation, with initial liferaft actions (mooring lines, sea anchor, canopy)
• Escaping from a partially submerged helicopter without EBS or push-out window
• Escaping from a partially submerged helicopter with EBS deployed and operating, without push-out window
• Escaping from a partially submerged helicopter with EBS deployed and operating, with push-out window
• Escaping from a capsized helicopter without EBS or push-out window
• Escaping from a capsized helicopter with EBS deployed prior to capsize, without push-out window
• Escaping from a capsized helicopter with EBS deployed prior to capsize, with push-out window
• 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 for offshore operations. Learners gain a thorough understanding of the types of offshore emergencies that may require evacuation, station bills and mustering procedures, escape routes and abandonment locations, and the various means of escape available on offshore installations including fixed platforms, FPSOs, and MODUs.

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 addressed. The correct donning and use of marine survival suits (immersion suits) is also covered, including the importance of thermal protection in cold water survival situations.

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.

Prerequisites

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