Offshore Safety: Helicopter and Sea Survival

Overview

Offshore workers travel by helicopter and boat to platforms, rigs and vessels, and they live and work in an environment where help is far away and the sea itself is a major hazard. Helicopter ditching, platform evacuation, man overboard, fire and severe weather are rare but potentially fatal events, and survival depends on preparation, correct equipment and calm, practised responses. Understanding how emergency systems work and what to do in the first critical minutes greatly improves the chances of survival for individuals and for the whole offshore team.

This course provides a practical awareness of offshore safety, helicopter travel and sea survival principles. Participants learn the hazards of offshore installations, the safety management and emergency response arrangements in place, and their personal responsibilities. The course covers helicopter safety briefings, boarding and disembarking, ditching procedures, emergency breathing systems and escape from a submerged helicopter, as well as lifejackets, survival suits, lifeboats, liferafts and other evacuation and escape systems. It also explains cold water survival, hypothermia, search and rescue, remote first aid, and muster and abandonment procedures. This awareness course complements, but does not replace, approved practical survival training.

Objectives

• Describe the main hazards of offshore installations and travel
• Explain offshore safety management and emergency response arrangements
• Follow helicopter safety briefings, boarding and ditching procedures
• Understand emergency breathing systems and escape from a helicopter
• Use lifejackets, survival suits and evacuation systems correctly
• Apply sea survival principles and recognise the effects of cold water
• Follow fire, muster and abandonment procedures on offshore facilities

Who should attend

Training methodology

The course is an awareness programme that combines clear explanation with videos, demonstrations of survival equipment and practical exercises. Participants examine lifejackets, survival suits and emergency breathing devices where available, walk through helicopter ditching and escape sequences, and practise muster and abandonment procedures using offshore installation layouts. Cold water survival and hypothermia are explained through real case studies. Group exercises test decision making in emergency scenarios. The course clearly explains that practical pool-based survival training must be completed with an approved training provider. Each day ends with a short quiz.

Programme outline

Dates and fees

Certificate

Frequently asked questions