Off-shore: Heavy Voltage Training Syllabus

HIGH VOLTAGE TRAINING SYLLABUS

The increasing use of high voltage (HV) equipment on vessels involved in offshore engineering and construction has made it imperative that HV operations and maintenance and repair are carried out efficiently and safely. To meet this demand, the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has produced a vital tool to serve the needs of both employee and employer.

'High Voltage Training: A syllabus for training offshore workers involved with high voltage equipment' is designed to ensure that all the required standards are met and that employers are reassured that personnel are competent for the tasks facing them.

HV equipment is found in a vessel's power generation system, propulsion and thruster systems and dynamic positioning (DP) equipment, as well as in other heavy handling equipment onboard vessels, such as winches, cranes and pipe handling gear. HV equipment is also found in powering remotely operated vehicles (ROV) systems.

"It is clear from feedback from IMCA members that finding the right solution has not always worked, as training establishments may not offer appropriate courses or syllabi and the individuals sent on any given course may come from too wide a background for that course to be appropriate to any or all of them," explains Jane Bugler, IMCA's Technical Director. "The aim of our new document is to define the syllabi and the possible entry levels sufficiently that market forces will allow the schools to offer more appropriate courses for marine contracting personnel. A three-stage syllabus is proposed covering generic introductory and more detailed training recommendations for various personnel such as chief engineers; engineers; electricians; ROV, dive and other technicians, as well as more auditor and assessor topics for electricians and engineers who are already electrically competent."

During the late 1990s, IMCA developed a syllabus for HV training, primarily to help provide suitable HV training for DP personnel. Numerous organisations and institutions were involved in developing pilot courses run on the basis of this syllabus or were involved in contributing material. A revision of this syllabus was proposed and, during 2002, a questionnaire was sent out to members asking for input on what sort of material ought to be included in the revised syllabus. From the replies, a paper was produced outlining a draft revised syllabus, from which the new document was produced.

Source: International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA)
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