Global safety initiative IMIST launched in Arabic
A LANDMARK training initiative developed to drastically improve safety standards for the global offshore workforce is now available in Arabic.
The International Minimum Industry Training Standard (IMIST) will ensure 1.5million workers engaged in exploration and production activities worldwide have the necessary safety knowledge and training to understand and avoid hazards and risks.
It is being rolled out across 30 countries worldwide throughout Asia, Africa and the United States over the next two years. A second translation, into Bahasa Malay, is due to be released in November 2011.
IMIST has been developed by oil and gas training standards body OPITO and will be applied to every member of the current workforce and all new entrants to the industry.
Delivered in partnership with Atlas via e-learning and tailored to meet each region's specific workforce, language and geographic needs, the course 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.
John Rowley, chief executive officer of Atlas said: "Originally developed in UK and American English, IMIST provides the platform for increasing the performance of the national workforce whilst ensuring a standardised playing field in terms of safety and competency.
"With an estimated 221 million Arabic speakers in 57 different countries worldwide, this move is the first step towards increasing its accessibility, bringing the benefits of IMIST to wider pool of oil and gas workers."
ENDS
Notse to editors: