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GWO Sea Survival is a course you may have heard about. Why is it becoming increasingly popular? What does it involve? Do you need Sea Survival Training for your job? At Safer at Work Gateshead, we have recently added Sea Survival training to our GWO course offering as we have seen demand increase in recent years. To explain more about the GWO Sea Survival Course and what you can expect from the course, read on.
GWO Sea Survival is a necessary component of your GWO Basic Safety Training (along with Manual Handling, Fire Awareness, Working at Height and First Aid) if you will be working offshore. It is not necessary for those working onshore. As with all GWO Basic Safety Training courses you will need to carry out Sea Survival refresher training every two years if you are working offshore.
With the UK government aiming to host 50GW of offshore wind by 2030 and renewable energy at the heart of future energy plans, it is not only wind turbine technicians who will require Sea Survival training. Anyone who is working offshore, for example, those involved in offshore wind farm installation, O&M, technicians, engineers, surveyors and crewing companies are all common roles that require sea survival.
As the name suggests, the content of the course focuses on survival techniques when submerged in the sea, the use of location devices, PPE and life-saving appliances. A key component is to practice safe procedures for vessel-to-vessel and vessel-to-turbine transfers.
A common Sea Survival question asked is, ‘Do I need to be able to swim?’
Whilst a flotation device will keep you afloat in the event that you end up in the water, it is a good idea to have a basic level of competence in the water and a basic level of fitness. All GWO Basic Safety Training is designed to give you the knowledge and skills to keep yourself and others safe in an environment not easily accessed by emergency services. If you cannot swim, you are more likely to panic and less likely to remember your training, which is why at Safer at Work we do ask that you are able to swim to take part in this course.
At our Gateshead facility we have designed and built a bespoke pool specifically for Sea Survival Training. As with all our training, our goal is to go beyond the basic level of compliance and deliver an experience that prepares learners for real-life emergencies. We aim to disorientate you, alert all your senses - wind, waves, darkness. However, we also know you need to feel safe and comfortable. Our trainers will be with you throughout. Full PPE and changing facilities are provided and you can relax with a hot drink in our lounge afterwards.
To find out more about the GWO Sea Survival training we perform, visit our webpage below: https://www.saferatwork.com/gwoseasurvival If you want to take your first step into the Offshore wind industry, we also offer a bundle at our Gateshead site which contains the five GWO courses necessary to start performing Offshore work: https://www.saferatwork.com/gwo-offshore-basic-safety-training