Enhancing Offshore Safety: Our Journey with GWO Basic Safety Training

We have been utilising our recognised Oil and Gas certificates for all our offshore operations over the last seven years. However, we have been receiving an increasing number of requests for GWO certifications, reflecting the growing demand in the industry. After finally putting it off for a couple of years—especially with the weather resembling more of a dreary November with a week of rain that grounded flights—Aurora Energy Services in Inverness came to our rescue, providing us with a last-minute opportunity for a full GWO Basic Safety Training (BST) course. This comprehensive five-day training program includes five essential modules: Working at Height, First Aid, Fire Awareness, Manual Handling, and Sea Survival. While much of this content is also addressed in our existing Oil and Gas training and certificates, the GWO course is specifically tailored to meet the needs of the wind industry. The course itself is thoroughly enjoyable, particularly the 1.5-day Working at Height Module, where we find ourselves suspended on ropes and ladders, learning crucial rescue techniques for both conscious and unconscious casualties. Although it can be intimidating at first, once you build trust in the equipment, it turns into an exhilarating experience, even though we hope that the skills acquired will never have to be put to the test in a real-life scenario.