In an Australian first, Challenger Institute of Technology’s oil and gas training facility is providing trainees with real-life experience in the safe management of onshore and offshore personnel.
Challenger’s Australian Centre for Energy and Process Training (ACEPT) has begun training students in the Vantage POB (Personnel on Board) system delivered by UK-based specialist information systems company Collabro and in use by oil and gas operators around the world.
The web-based system enables users to efficiently monitor and control the movements of personnel at offshore and onshore facilities. At ACEPT, the system is being applied to the movements of students as they participate in training activities at the centre’s simulated process plant.
Collabro managing director Nigel Bull said the personnel tracking system was widely used by Australian oil and gas facilities. The Collabro-ACEPT partnership would allow trainees to become familiar with safety, security and operational efficiency before entering the industry.
“The purpose of the Vantage POB system is multi-faceted: it enables personnel to be tracked in real time; allows for people to be located in an emergency response scenario; and also ensures that only certified personnel are allowed into controlled areas,” Bull said.
ACEPT director Greg Guppy said Challenger Institute was proud to be the first registered training organisation in Australia to offer students access to the sophisticated technology.
“ACEPT is the only training provider in the southern hemisphere with a full-scale process plant,” he said. “The new Vantage POB system will build on the excellent real-life training environment and opportunities we provide.”