Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Common Safety Orientation: What You Need to Know

Are you looking for a new job in the oil and gas industry? You will need new safety orientation

Anyone who has worked in the oil and gas industry can probably pull out a long stack of safety tickets they have collected over the years. They can probably also tell you how similar each safety course was to the next.

First, workers needed the Oil Sands Safety Association’s (OSSA) Regional Orientation Program (ROP). By 2015, they needed OSSA’s Basic Safety Orientation (BSO). They may have also been asked to complete a combination of site-specific orientations, Electronic General Safety Orientation (eGSO), Petroleum Safety Training (PST), and Construction Safety Training System (CSTS). And now, in 2019, Energy Safety Canada has launched the new Common Safety Orientation (CSO).

Why have workers been required to complete so many different versions of safety orientation training? During the rapid growth of the oil and gas industry, more and more courses were developed to meet the specific needs of each site, sector, and project. When industry identified the need for a single safety orientation, Energy Safety Canada worked alongside the Safety Standards Council representing approximately 70 percent of Canada’s oil and gas industry to develop a singular program.

The new Common Safety Orientation (CSO) has been developed to introduce new workers to key safety concepts within the oil and gas industry while simultaneously aiming to reduce duplicate safety training and increase seamless movement of workers between sites. All workers should continue to consult with their employers to determine which safety orientation is required for their work site as industry works through the adoption of this new course.

As you probably already know, Enform has merged with the Oil Sands Safety Association, with one of the key objectives to bring you better quality training without all of the duplications.

“Energy Safety Canada will combine the knowledge and benefits of both organizations to improve oil and gas safety performance,” says John Rhind, Energy Safety Canada’s CEO. “As a unified entity, our vision is to be a globally recognized authority. Now is the time for industry in Canada to work together and build a world-class reputation for safety.”

What courses have been discontinued?

Basic Safety Orientation (BSO), Electronic General Safety Orientation (eGSO), and Petroleum Safety Training (PST) have all been discontinued effective December 31, 2018. Replacement certificates will be available for all programs except eGSO until March 31, 2019. After this date, replacement certificates will no longer be issued, and workers will need to complete the new CSO Course.

How do I access CSO training?

CLAC Training can register students for and proctor their CSO training at CLAC’s Edmonton or Calgary Member Centre. We will provide students with a computer, web cam, and course link required to complete the two-hour online training.

Common Safety Orientation: What You Need to Know

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