Oil Pollution, Preparedness, Response and Co-Operation (OPRC) Level 2 (Supervisor/On-Scene Commander)

Target group

The course is designed for First responders personnel

Objectives

The course is designed to give participants a complete overview of oil spill response processes, with elements of theoretical and practical sessions.

The purpose of this course is to train candidates to be competent and capable to supervise on the field personnel during an oil spill clean-up. The On-scene commander will be responsible for the planning and logistics of the marine
operations, aviation, legal issues, public affairs, health and safety and the environment.

The local community response limitations and the types of resources available to respond to an oil spill (personnel, equipment and monetary) are also taken into consideration.

The candidate will be able to carry out on site assessment for Health & Safety, Environment sensitivities, formulate a work plan and establish a communications network between the clean-up team and the on-scene commander.

Contents

The course consists of practical and theoretical training and
knowledge of:

• Oil Spill Properties, Behaviour and Fate
• Demonstrations of Physical Properties
• Health and Safety
• Environmental Sensitivity and Impacts
• Response Organisation and Control Strategies
• Oil Containment Booms
• Failures of Containment Booms
• Boom Selection
• Deployment, Recovery and Configurations of Oil
• Containment
• Booms
• Oil Skimmers
• Storage and Transportation of Recovered Oil
• Demonstrations of Equipment Storage and Maintenance
• Use of Dispersants
• Use of Absorbing Materials
• Shoreline Clean-up
• Cleaning, Maintenance and Storage of Equipment
• Oil Sampling, Cost Recovery and Documentation
• Wildlife Casualties
• Practical Exercises in Oil Combating

Prerequisites

Candidates need to have a good understanding of English and capable to communicate using the three skills. i.e., Reading, writing, and speaking. They need to be in possession of previous certificate in Oil Spills namely an OPRC Level 1 as a minimum. Previous experience of oil spills as a First Responder
would be beneficial.

Teaching aids and classroom arrangement

A good-sized classroom is required to accommodate students comfortably, with instructor’s table and chair, students chair with tables, white board, easel, photocopying facilities, students course notes, flat screen for power point presentation with sound.

The following will be required to conduct the basic practical demonstrations:

• Absorbent pads
• Absorbent boom (20cm)
• Chemical dispersant (10cl)
• Plastic transparent dish (4pprox.. 40cm x 30cm x 30cmH)
• Air inflator
• Inflatable boom (for deployment in the sea)
• Rigid boom (any size available for deployment in the sea)
• Shore boom (same size of rigid or inflatable boom to connect)
• Boom bridle for towing with ropes
• Hydraulic Boom Reel / Boom cages
• Wood spikes to secure shore boom for sandy shorelines
• Hydraulic power pack (length of hydraulic hoses)
• Small weir skimmer (with pump)
• Small Dish skimmer (with pump)
• Intake and discharge hoses
• Disposable gloves
• Disposable bags
• Safety equipment (PPEs)
• Small boat with outboard (in actual spills, motors with diesel engines would be safer)
• Small anchors with chain or rope
• Buoys
• Marine communications 2-way radios (in real life, all electrical equipment including radios must be intrinsically safe (Atex))

Final Assessment

Assessment will be a multiple-choice question and answer, followed by a written paper with two different spill scenarios. A satisfactory minimum score of 75% is required.