Posted: March 15, 2022
Meet Josh, the newest member of our instructor team. Josh is part of the SEFtec NMCI Offshore (SNO) two year Instructor Training Programme. Beginning his career at the NMCI as a technician and trainee instructor Josh recently completed the two year programme to become an instructor at the NMCI. We chatted with Josh to hear more about his background, interests and future plans.
Hi Josh, so tell us a little about yourself?
Hello, my name is Josh and I am an instructor with SEFtec NMCI Offshore DAC.
Growing up I worked in outdoor activity centres during my Summer holidays. I loved the multi-activity courses which included water sports such as sailing, kayaking, and coasteering to name a few. I was really lucky to have such an enjoyable job at a young age – and it gave me great confidence in leadership and instruction. During my time in college, I was a safety officer and later captain of CIT’s kayaking club. I learned loads about management as well as general risk assessments regarding water safety. After college, I spent some time working for a fire safety company that specialises in the maritime industry. This gave me great exposure to various vessels, their fire suppression systems, and firefighting equipment on board.
What attracted you to the role of trainee instructor/technician initially?
When introduced to the role of Trainee Instructor/Technician, I was immediately attracted to the similarities it had with my previous instructor role. Each day is different with new learners across various training set-ups. I was especially excited to work in the environmental pool and it’s still my favourite ‘classroom’ in the NMCI. Working all 4 seasons as a water-based instructor can be almost unheard of in Ireland, so this was an exciting concept.
Tell us about your role and what it entails?
When I first joined the team, I was trained into the role of Technician. It was my job to prepare any equipment needed for the courses. This included prepping boats for the pool, equipment for the fire yard, and general organisation of all PPE across all the courses. I found this period in the company beneficial in gaining a better understanding of how the equipment operates. This role also included assisting in the background of courses – lighting fires, capsizing rafts, and launching lifeboats.
1 year later I became a Trainee Instructor. I trained a new colleague into the Technician role, allowing me to spend more time in the classroom learning the courses. I participated in every course we offer as a learner, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I then became a PADI Open Water Diver and later received a National Pool Lifeguard Qualification. I could now participate in the pool as a safety swimmer/diver – a position I was looking forward to since the day I started! Towards the end of my 24-month program, I completed my OPITO Assessors, Train the Trainer, and HUET Instructor course. This is the part of the job that blows my friend’s minds!! I love working in the ‘HUET’ and I’m continuing to learn more with each course I am part of.
What is your favourite part about working with SEFtec Group?
My favourite part about working with SEFtec Group is the dynamic and varied working environment. No one day is the same. I work alongside seasoned mariners and firefighters regularly. I have the opportunity to train with emergency services like the Irish Coast Guard Helicopter crews each month. I have just returned from training in the UK for an exciting project in the future. I continue to expand my knowledge with every course I am a part of, every person I meet, and every location I visit. Working with SEFtec Group has opened my eyes to an amazing industry with inspiring people working within it. I look forward to more projects in the future, especially overseas.
How will you continue to develop your skills in 2022?
When I first joined the company, I was told “every day is a school day here”.
This is absolutely true. Each day my skills and knowledge improve. Every course brings its challenges and rewards and I learn so much from each one. To enhance my skills further, I plan on focusing on the Global Wind Organisation side of training more this year. I also look forward to improving my HUET skills with more time inside the unit. It’s also an exciting time for OPITO as they move towards the sustainable energy section. I look forward to being part of this transition in the future. As part of my continuous development, I will be doing Enclosed Spaces, Working at Heights, and Manual Handling instructorships in 2022 also.
Thanks Josh, we’re looking forward to seeing all that you achieve in your career!
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Posted: May 23, 2020
OPITO Certificate Extension Policy Update for Oil & Gas Industry.
With immediate effect, candidates who have already received a certificate extension, and continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, may apply for a further two-month extension.
We advise visiting the OPITO website for further information.
Before booking your OPITO approved Offshore Course on our website please email reception@nmci.ie to contact our admin team regarding your chosen training date.
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Posted: March 18, 2015
As with most of our blog posts lately we like to start with a quote. Just a little something to keep in mind while reading our blogs. So we have decided that for this blog our quote should be “Safety isn’t just a slogan, it’s a way of life”. Those few words explain just how our instructors work. Safety for our instructors is not just a slogan; it really is a way of life.
Who am I?
Before anybody goes offshore there are a number of courses which they must complete, depending on their role in the oil & gas sector, with a MIST, BOSIET and HUET being the basic requirement.
Seen as I’m the new marketing executive for NMCI Services I decided it was time for me to take the plunge and complete one of the many offshore courses we offer through S.N.O (SEFtec NMCI Offshore). When people read blogs they want to read about peoples personal experiences and know what exactly happens when a delegate arrives to do a course. So on Thursday March 12th I had the opportunity to be a delegate on a HUET Course.
My day as a delegate
As I’m an employee things were a little different. I didn’t have to arrive in reception at 8.45 am or I didn’t have to find my way or travel from a neighbouring country. So I was going doing the meet and greet at 1:30pm.
After the theoretical aspects of the course were completed it was time to get into the water. Before a delegate can get into the water you have to don your swimwear and a tracksuit and t-shirt. The instructor will then give you a pair of overalls and a transit suit. I have to admit this is a bit strange because you feel like you’re in a blow up boiler suit. Once the shoes are on then it’s time to put on your life jacket.
What happened…
After a safety briefing pool side it was time to get into the water in our environmental pool. The temperature is kept at 21 degrees so it wasn’t cold like I had expected. It was hard to stay up in the water as at no point in our pool can you stand up. This is to help simulate the idea of being in the ocean. When you’re in the suit you have to swim backwards to stay afloat and then make your way over to the unit. Out unit is manufactured by SEFtec.
Once in the unit the instructor once again goes through what is going to happen. You are so well briefed that the idea of being underwater without air doesn’t seem so terrifying. There were 2 divers and then 2 instructors pool side. Safety is paramount when it comes to any course but for somebody who wouldn’t exactly be a water baby I definitely felt safe in the hands of all the instructors.
I will admit I was a bit nervous once the 3 safety checks had been done and the briefing had been completed. Before completing the first exercise we once again completed the 3 safety checks and went into the brace position. Once the unit hit the water it was time to pull the emergency strap on the window and once the water reached chest level it was time to take that big breath of air. Depending on which side of the ditcher unit you are in you have one hand on the window and the other on your buckle. This helps ensure that you are in a position to release the buckle and to push the window out so you can easily remove yourself from the unit. The first time the unit was submerged I found I was able to hold my breath but then again I did probably get out too fast. Second time around I was more psyched up to do it and the instructors helped calm me and motivate me to complete the training. Safety checks were completed again, brace position, pull the latch, take a deep breath and then once the unit has stopped moving unbuckle and remove yourself through the window. I didn’t seem to follow the steps and when I went to unbuckle I didn’t fully twist the buckle to unlock it. This meant I was stuck. Like I previously mentioned I’m not exactly a water baby so my immediate response was to panic. The instructors and divers are on high alert and noticed straight away and released me from behind my seat. Once I reached the surface I was perfect but I had gotten a bit of a shock. Third time lucky right? Well that did work. On my third attempt I completed each of the steps. This time I even decided to stay in the unit just a while longer as I wasn’t sure if it had stopped moving. Then once I did get out I was ready to take on the “capsize” aspect of the training.
The adrenaline was obviously present at this stage because I was a nervous wreck the night before thinking about it and then I was all go. I returned to the unit and once again strapped in and completed the safety briefing then the safety checks. I was fortunate enough to do the capsize without the window in the unit, don’t know if I would even have the strength to push out the window. The unit was being submerged in the water, I placed my right hand on the window frame tightly and placed my left hand on my buckle. Once we were completely submerged and the unit began to capsize the force of water wasn’t what I was expected and I lost my grip on the windows edge which did frighten me. I had my eyes open which meant I could see everything moving really fast. I would definitely recommend delegates to keep their eyes closed if possible as it’s hard to adapt to the change in surroundings when you’re capsizing.
Overall experience
The instructors and divers really made me feel comfortable in the water. It’s not an easy task completing any training but knowing you have people, for whom safety is a way of life, by your side definitely helps you relax. From the moment I walked up the stairs to the pool to the moment I got out of the environmental pool I felt like I was in safe hands. Everything is explained numerous times and they ask questions to ensure you are comfortable. For me, even climbing up a ladder is terrifying, so knowing that I was able to complete a HUET, I can safely say it was down to the team of people who were there on the day. For some delegates it can be extremely challenging to complete courses and I can now understand the nerves they develop, but I was the same and the team here at SEFtec NMCI Offshore helped me to face my fears. If I can do it then you can too…
Thanks for an amazing afternoon Joey, Terry, Cillian & Melissa.
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Posted: December 5, 2014
Pictured above are the SEFtec Group delegation at the recently sponsored OPITO Safety and Competence Conference(OSCC) 2014 in Abu Dhabi. OSCC is the only annual, global event focused entirely on safety and competency in oil and gas. The aim of OSCC is 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. (Pictured left to right are Sean Mowlds, Michael Delaney, John Cogan, Conor Mowlds, Colman Garvey, Darren O’ Sullivan, Tricia Jordan and Garrett O’ Rourke)
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Posted: April 2, 2013
Extract from Independent.ie Tuesday April 2nd
By John Mulligan
“Oil giant ExxonMobil kicks off a $160m-plus (€125m) drilling programme off the west coast of Ireland this weekend with hopes that confirmation of major fossil fuel reserves will transform the country’s economy.
The US company is planning to drill test wells over a four-month period at two prospects at the Dunquin licence area in the Porcupine Basin, 200km off shore.
Previous data has suggested that there could be over 300 million barrels of oil and 8.5 trillion cubic feet of gas between the two Dunquin prospects.
If they could be proven and then extracted, such finds would mark one of the biggest ever global discoveries of oil and gas and be a game-changer for Ireland’s economic fortunes.
Hidden
But despite the 200 or so wells drilled off Ireland’s shores in the past number of decades, only two have resulted in commercial fields – Kinsale and Corrib.
Both are minnows compared to the prospective resources that could be hidden at Dunquin. Kinsale had about 1.5 trillion cubic feet of gas, while Corrib has about one trillion.
Located at a point in the Atlantic where the ocean is 1.6km deep, ExxonMobil’s drilling programme is being eagerly watched by oil companies from abroad and Ireland, including Petrel Resources, which has an exploration block just 35km away from the Dunquin prospect.
ExxonMobil controls 27.5pc of the Dunquin prospect, with Italian firm Eni holding another 27.5pc.
Spanish energy firm Repsol owns 25pc and UK-based Sosina has a 4pc interest. Irish exploration firm Providence Resources has a 16pc interest in the prospect. A major oil or gas find could catapult its shares higher.
The Dunquin prospect – where the reserves are as deep as 3.6km under the seabed – is one of the most important exploration areas for Providence, which is headed by Tony O’Reilly Jnr.
Providence is also betting that it could have a major oil find on its hands at a site called Barryroe, which is close to the Kinsale field. The company reckons that there could be 280 million barrels of recoverable oil at the Barryroe prospect.”
http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/oil-giant-exxon-starts-160m-drilling-project-off-west-coast-29163728.html
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