ATEC first to deliver groundbreaking training initiative in North America
Atec Training and Certification Services has become the first company in North America to gain approval to deliver a groundbreaking new global training initiative for the oil and gas industry in this region.
Atec Training and Certification Services has become the first company in North America to gain approval to deliver a groundbreaking new global training initiative for the oil and gas industry in this region.
The training provider’s Houston centre is the first to meet the stringent criteria set by learning and skills specialist Atlas to invigilate the International Minimum Industry Safety Training (IMIST) e-learning programme, a global initiative developed to drastically improve safety standards for the offshore workforce worldwide.
Developed by global oil and gas training standards body OPITO International, IMIST online is delivered in partnership with Atlas via approved invigilation centres only.
The Atec Training Centre has the capacity to offer training to around 500 oil workers each month. With an estimated 244,000 people in the North America currently employed in exploration and production activities, the centre is ready to be used by companies across the region.
IMIST brings for the first time a standardised level of basic safety training to an estimated 1.5million oil and gas workers worldwide. The training, which was launched in the Middle East in July and is being rolled out across 30 countries, assesses basic safety knowledge in nine subject areas including risk assessment, asset integrity, the use of hazardous substances, working at height and mechanical lifting among other subjects.
By gaining Atlas approval to deliver the course, workers using the Atec Training Centre will have their IMIST training accepted by employers all over the world. It will also reduce the burden of training costs for companies with both new entrants and experienced workers able to undergo a full range of mandatory and voluntary health and safety courses under one roof.
Tommy Sutherland, Managing Director of Atec, said: “We are delighted to be the first centre in the US to offer this groundbreaking safety training. IMIST is the only truly global standard that will provide a consistent level of safety knowledge to industry workers, totally transferrable for our transient workforce, whatever region they are working in. Atlas’ approval provides independent and world-wide recognition of the quality of our delivery.
“Our Centre is well positioned in this region, with our facility in Houston which can provide companies operating in North America with a time and cost-effective way of accessing the new IMIST course, ensuring the workforce is best equipped to operate in the safest and most efficient way possible.”
John Rowley, chief executive of Atlas said the accreditation was a good step towards promoting the roll out of this global minimum safety standard to industry in this region.
“IMIST is an important element of assuring a common standard of competency and this accreditation is a clear step forward towards achieving a step-change in the health and safety culture globally and meeting the target of reducing risk and making sure workers can return home safe at the end of each day.”
He added: “There has been a great deal of interest from training providers all over the world who want to deliver this groundbreaking global safety standard in their centres, with 26 now registered and spread across most oil and gas regions. Using an invigilated environment ensures the online course is being delivered at the high level the industry demands and we are delighted that Atec has become the first centre to gain approval in this key region.”
IMIST is now available in 5 languages - Arabic, Bahasa Malaysian, UK and American English, Hindi and coming soon in Thai, French and Bahasa Indonesian.
ENDS (15/03/12)
Notes to editors: