Enhance your understanding of spill response requirements within the UKCS and become an effective member of the management involved in responding to an oil spill.
This BEIS-accredited training course is the level of training required for all companies that require access to personnel trained to OPEP Level 4 during an oil spill incident.
This training course is essential for those required to advise on the spill response strategy during an oil spill response in UKCS waters, providing you with the minimum requirement UK training standard.
The BEIS Guidance Notes For Preparing Oil Pollution Emergency Plans states that the Responsible Person or Operator of the Oil Handling Facility has access to personnel trained to OPEP Level 4 (IMO Level 2 equivalent). This course is BEIS-accredited and is valid for 3 years*
*Refresher training (UKCS Responder Refresher (OPEP Levels 3 & 4)) must be completed within 3 months of certificate expiry. Full recertification will be required if a refresher course is not taken within the stated timeframe.
You will receive a comprehensive overview of oil spill response through interactive participation, from preparedness activities to applicable spill response techniques. This course outlines the statutory reporting requirements and which relevant UK government agencies you may require to have ongoing communications with.
This course also ensures you understand the role of the Secretary of State’s Representative (SOSREP), the functions of the Operations Control Unit (OCU) and how they could interface with your company and other relevant government agencies.
Building awareness of the complexities of strategic and tactical response decision-making and providing an understanding of oil spill response in the UKCS, during this course, you will learn how to complete a full assessment of an oil spill, the initial response activities and how to identify response priorities and limitations.
This course will give you the knowledge and understanding in the following areas:
- Assessing the situation and activating the Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (OPEP)
- Developing a spill response strategy
- Establishment and organisation of a response structure
- Activation of spill response operations
- Practical deployment exercises of response equipment
- Management and control of an ongoing spill response
- Assisting in the decisions to deactivate a response.
During this course, you will cover the following topics:
- UK Legislation and agreements
- Oil Pollution Emergency Plans (OPEPs)
- Causes and fates of marine oil spills
- Environmental and economic impacts
- Surveillance, modelling and visualisation
- Dispersants
- Offshore containment and recovery
- Shoreline response
- Inland response
- Hazards to responders
- Waste management
- Media relations
- Termination of a spill response
- Table-top exercise and debrief
- Practical deployments; shoreline and offshore exercises
- Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) guest speaker
