Employers and training providers working to achieve the highest safety standards in the oil and gas industry are being invited to submit their nominations for the sixth annual Opito Safety and Competency Awards 2015.
 
The accolades will be presented at the Opito Safety and Competency Conference (OSCC) to be held at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Abu Dhabi on November 3, said a statement.
 
The awards recognise companies that are committed to building a safe and competent workforce through Opito standards, it said.
 
The event will bring together more than 500 industry, government and training provider executives to explore how the industry maintains competence and continues to keep its people safe in a lower oil price environment.
 
It was introduced to bring operators, contractors and the supply chain together with training organisations to provide a forum for improving standards of safety and competency that protect the workforce and the industry’s reputation.
 
Any oil and gas company can enter the ‘OSCC Employers Award’ if it can demonstrate how it has improved safety and is delivering a competent workforce, said the statement.

The companies will be judged on how they have effectively adopted Opito standards, the number of staff trained, geographical location and examples of how the standards have shown a tangible improvement in safety and competence, it said.
 
Meanwhile, the ‘Approved Training Providers Award’ will recognise the training provider which has demonstrated its commitment to developing the skills of its staff to deliver Opito training.

The criteria will examine the range of standards used in the development programme, the number of staff involved over the year, structure and timeframe of the development programme and examples of innovation in learning and development.
 
David Doig, Opito group chief executive officer, said: “Year-on-year, we see organisations reaching the highest standards in safety across the oil and gas industry and the OSCC Awards is our way of recognising and rewarding their ongoing efforts to ensure a safe and competent workforce.
 
“It is also pleasing to witness an increasing number of organisations looking to standardise their training and implement a recognised set of procedures.
 
“We may be experiencing some challenging economic times, as companies start to feel the pinch of the low oil price and evaluate their options for reducing costs, however it’s vital that we continue to maintain this momentum and not make any compromises when it comes to skills.”
 
The entries can be made online until August 21, after which an independent judging panel of industry leaders will score each entry according to the agreed criteria.

The finalists will be announced on September 28 and the winners at the awards ceremony in Abu Dhabi. - TradeArabia News Service