RTITB has partnered with OPAL (Oman Society for Petroleum Services) to deliver the Oman National Occupational Standard Project for Lifting Operations Training and Skill Certification assessment scheme.
With more than 450 members, made up of oil and gas companies, including producers and operators, contractors and suppliers, OPAL aims to promote standards of work, and increase competencies and professionalism among those operating plant and materials handling equipment.
As a result of the new collaboration, RTITB, the UK’s leading workplace transport training accrediting body, will be part of the organisation’s lifting operations framework, with a view to improving the standards and skills of operators, at the same time increasing safety in members’ operations.
As part of the new assessment scheme, competency cards will be issued for lifting operators based on their skill level, in line with assessment standards set by RTITB. The standards have been specifically designed to help make measurable improvements to safety, while reducing risk and increasing efficiency.
Cards will be issued electronically by RTITB and only operators who have received the card will be able to work for OPAL members.
“By setting national and international standards for training and assessment, RTITB is dedicated to improving safety in lifting operations worldwide,” says Laura Nelson, Managing Director for RTITB, who recently visited Oman to officially sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the new collaboration with OPAL.
“We are excited that this is the first step towards a professional verification program that will ensure the competence of skilled workers in the energy and minerals sector in the Sultanate’s labour market,” she continues.
UK-based RTITB started working in Oman in 2013, looking at ways to improve lifting operation standards in the oil and gas sector with PDO (Petroleum Development Oman). In Oman, RTITB is already the leading lifting equipment training accrediting body, providing training tools, quality assurance and certification services for operators of plant and materials handling equipment. Around 9,000 people already undergo RTITB accredited training in Oman each year, with this number set to increase following the new partnership with OPAL.
For more information on working with RTITB to raise training standards for lifting operations, call +44 (0) 1952 520207, email solutions@rtitb.com, or visit www.rtitb.com.