Hook-up and commissioning technicians
Mechanical, electrical and instrument technicians finishing new platforms are often among the first to be asked for a valid offshore survival certificate.
Course snapshot
CourseTropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (T-BOSIET)
OPITO code5501
Duration3 Days
Fee₹35,000
Validity4 Years
OPITO code5501 (tropical version)
Duration3 days
Fee₹35,000 per person
Certificate validity4 years
Flight, Dammam to KochiAbout 5 h; check direct services
Experience neededNone; medical fitness is required
Why Gulf offshore work leads people to the tropical version
The offshore work run from the Eastern Province is concentrated in a handful of big Gulf fields. Safaniya, found in 1951 and in production since 1957, is about 265 km north of Dhahran and covers an area of roughly 50 by 15 km. Aramco's Marjan and Berri increment programmes, awarded in 2019, added a new offshore gas-oil separation plant and 24 offshore platforms at Marjan, and two drilling islands, a new gas-oil separation plant on Abu Ali Island and 11 offshore oil and water platforms at Berri. All of that steel had to be installed, hooked up, commissioned and then operated and maintained by people working over open water.
Gulf waters stay warm for much of the year, which is the kind of setting the tropical standard is designed around. OPITO describes T-BOSIET as the course for people new to or returning to offshore oil and gas work in a tropical environment, including travel by helicopter to and from the installations.
Operators and contractors set their own rules: some ask for T-BOSIET for warm-water installations, some name the standard BOSIET. We cannot speak for any client, so get the wording from your contract or the mobilisation team before you book leave around it.
Safaniya field
Discovered in 1951 and producing since 1957, about 265 km north of Dhahran in the Gulf.
Marjan increment
Programme that added a new offshore gas-oil separation plant and 24 offshore oil, gas and water injection platforms.
Berri increment
Included two drilling islands, a new gas-oil separation plant on Abu Ali Island and 11 offshore oil and water platforms.
Roles around Dammam that usually need offshore survival training
Platform operators and production technicians
Shift crews on producing platforms travel by helicopter or boat on a rotation, and many employers want the certificate on file before first mobilisation.
Riggers, scaffolders and painters
Brownfield maintenance and shutdown campaigns need these trades offshore, usually under the contractor's induction rules.
Marine crew and offshore vessel staff
Supply vessel and crew-boat personnel sometimes need survival and first aid training, depending on the vessel owner's requirements.
Inspectors, QA/QC and HSE advisers
Contractor staff who visit offshore sites for audits and punch-listing may be asked for the same certificate as the workforce.
T-BOSIET or BOSIET: choosing for your Gulf posting
T-BOSIET is the OPITO tropical version (5501) and BOSIET with EBS is the standard version (5700). Both are three days, ₹35,000 here and valid for four years. The tropical version does not include sea survival in an immersion suit, because the course is intended for warm-water regions; the standard version is the one commonly named for colder waters and by many international operators. Pick by the document your client gives you; if it names neither, ask in writing before you pay.
Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training with EBS (BOSIET with EBS) →
Your client names the standard BOSIET, or you may be deployed outside warm waters in the next four years.
Tropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (T-BOSIET) →
Your contract or client asks for the tropical version for Gulf installations.
Tropical Further Offshore Emergency Training (T-FOET) →
Your T-BOSIET is still valid and your client wants the tropical refresher. OPITO sets a maximum gap of four years between T-BOSIET and T-FOET.
Basic H2S Training →
You also work at sour-gas sites; this half-day OPITO 9014 course is valid for 2 years and is separate from the survival certificate.
The three days, explained for Gulf platform work
Classroom sessions are followed by instructor-led practicals: water exercises in a controlled indoor pool with a Modular Egress Training Simulator, and fire work on a dedicated fire ground. Assessment is continuous.
- 01
Safety induction
Offshore hazards, safety legislation, management systems and the roles on an installation. This is the theory behind permits, muster points and incident reporting you will meet on a Gulf platform.
- 02
Helicopter safety and escape (tropical HUET)
Brace positions, emergency procedures and escape from a capsized, submerged helicopter. It is the part of the course most relevant to platforms reached by helicopter.
- 03
Tropical sea survival
Techniques for the warm-water environment without an immersion suit, use of lifejackets and life rafts, and considerations such as hyperthermia in hot conditions.
- 04
Basic first aid
Skills that help you support an injured colleague until help arrives, which matters when the nearest medical facility is offshore or a boat ride away.
- 05
Fire fighting and self-rescue
Fire hazards, portable extinguishers and escape from a smoke-filled space. Relevant to the process, power and accommodation areas found on installations.
For contractors and HSE teams sending Eastern Province crew
Contractors, marine companies and manning agencies around Dammam often have crews whose certificates fall due at different times. A group booking lets you align expiry dates, and the portal keeps those dates visible to the office.
Standards that shape training in Saudi Arabia
OPITO T-BOSIET standard (5501)Lists 19 guided learning hours, with the safety induction as theory and the remaining modules about 40 per cent theory and 60 per cent practical.
Medical fitness entry conditionUnder the standard, a learner needs a valid offshore medical, an employer-approved equivalent, another listed fitness certificate, or a completed medical screening form from the centre.
Renewal timing ruleOPITO's standard allows a new certificate to carry the old expiry date when the previous one expires within three months before enrolment, unless the duty holder or operator says otherwise.
What employers commonly ask for
| Course | Requirement note |
|---|---|
| Tropical Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (T-BOSIET) | Many operators and contractors working offshore in warm waters ask for the tropical version. Check the client's wording. |
| Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training with EBS (BOSIET with EBS) | Some clients specify the standard BOSIET for the whole workforce, which is easier to administer if crews rotate between regions. |
| Basic H2S Training | Where sour-gas handling applies, H2S training is commonly added. It has its own 2-year validity. |
Planning a group booking
- Register at portal.imostacademy.in/register for team logins, contract (rate card) pricing once approved, group bookings and certificate and renewal tracking.
- Send each person's current certificate expiry with the booking request so we can apply the renewal timing correctly.
- Fees are in INR. Confirm invoice currency and international transfer details with our team before you raise a purchase order.
- Get the medical fitness evidence ready before travel; the learner needs to meet the entry condition on the day.
Operators and clients set their own requirements; confirm with your contract or HSE department.
From Dammam to the campus in Njarakkal
Fly from King Fahd International Airport (DMM) into Cochin International Airport (COK). The campus is on Vypin island, about 40 km from the airport and about 15 km from Ernakulam Junction via the Goshree bridges.
DMM to COK
Aggregators list direct and one-stop options with about five hours in the air. Schedules change by season, so check the airline before you commit to course dates.
Airport to Njarakkal
Pre-book a taxi or use an app cab to Puthuval Road, Njarakkal, Ernakulam District. Expect about an hour or more depending on traffic.
Plan your visit from Dammam
Planning around home leave
A three-day course plus travel on both sides fits into a normal home-leave break. Pick the course dates once the batch is confirmed, and book the return flight afterwards.
Visa and entry
Indian passport holders do not need a visa for India. Other nationalities should check the e-Visa categories at indianvisaonline.gov.in, as the visa authority decides which one suits a short safety course.
Costs and payment
Fees are in INR, per person. Confirm the payment method with our team before sending money from Saudi Arabia, and keep the transfer receipt.
A three-day course inside a Kerala trip
- 1
Before you fly: documents and dates
Check your certificate expiry, the client's wording and your medical evidence. Send your leave window to info@imostacademy.in or WhatsApp +91 8075 787307 for batch dates.
- 2
Travel day
Fly DMM to COK and take a taxi to your stay near Vypin. Keep the evening free.
- 3
Day 1 to 3: the course
Classroom induction, helicopter escape and sea survival in the pool, first aid, and fire fighting with self-rescue. Ask our team for the timetable and the reporting time.
- 4
Spare day
Keep a day after the course free in case a session has to be repeated or a flight changes.
- 5
Flight back and paperwork
Send the certificate to your employer and note the four-year expiry date in your records.