OIL SPILL TRAINING—AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH

ABSTRACT Oil spill response and equipment deployment training is a vital part of oil spill contingency planning. The Petroleum Industry Training Service has recognized the oil industry's needs in this regard and has established a number of oil spill related courses. These programs have been constructed to meet individual needs for contingency planning, response planning, equipment handling, cleanup techniques, and restoration procedures. Our organization understands the need for practical field training and because of this has designed the material around effective communications, coordination, cooperation, and case histories. In our training programs the varied subject matter is covered by personnel from the oil industry and regulatory agencies. Each of these individuals is well experienced in oil spill countermeasures and is capable of providing both theoretical and practical information. In addition, the province of Alberta, Canada, has been divided into 24 oil spill cooperatives. Each co-op is required to provide adequately trained personnel who can respond to and handle an oil spill on land, water, or under ice conditions. To make the educational process more effective, a full-time oil spill training coordinator is available to assist the cooperative chairman and his members with response planning and training exercise details. The system of classroom orientation, case studies, and hands-on field training has proven successful over the past five years, has paid dividends to the oil industry and regulatory agencies, and has received positive comments from many oil spill strategy groups.