Red One delivers best-in-class rescue training Red One have recently been working with Stirling Group, a renowned international company providing risk management, security and training services to the oil and gas industry across the Middle East and North Africa. Stirling Group contacted Red One with an urgent requirement to train drilling crews working on land based oil drilling rigs, outside of Erbil in northern Kurdistan, Iraq. Will Follett, Director of Stirling Group said: 'Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) and support services are vital in the oil and gas industry. They ensure clients are able to operate safely and effectively, as well as ensuring compliance to regulations and authority, regardless of the environmental constraints and hazards they face. 'The discovery of a multitude of oil and gas opportunities across the autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq presented an oil and gas client with an urgent requirement for HSSE training, specifically in Rescue Team operations on rig sites. Stirling Group partnered with Red One, a specialist provider of fire and safety training, to deliver best-in-class Rescue from Height, and Rescue from Confined Space courses. Red One training improves safety, optimises operational efficiency and helps clients effectively manage their risk on par with international standards.The training location and individual sites were assessed as a potentially high risk environment, which meant that additional checks had to be carried out before a decision could be made to facilitate the training. The training programme itself was also designed to reflect Stirling's specific requirements and the environment in which the training was to occur. Chris Thain, Director of Red One said: 'We took the call from Stirling on Wednesday afternoon to provide access and rescue safety training to a client in Kurdistan and we managed to facilitate an instructor flying to Erbil by the following Sunday morning. 'We had a lot of information to bring together in a very short space of time. We had to firstly determine what the scope of work was, as well as the level of expert skills and qualifications required from our instructor. We also researched the region and job location and, in close collaboration with Stirling, carried out a detailed risk assessment. 'Before travelling, our instructor received his Personal Protective Equipment, insurance and essential briefing documents which we always issue to staff working overseas. Upon arrival in Erbil our instructor met representatives from Stirling and their client's representative, a sub-contractor to Exxon Mobil who has drilling rights in that part of the country. Upon arriving at the first site which is located about 50 kilometres outside of Erbil our instructor immediately carried out an on-site risk review in order to gain a detailed understanding of the client's safety procedures, as well as deciding the best possible training venues and what additional training equipment was available. The access and rescue training took place over 10 days and incorporated confined space entry using self-contained breathing apparatus, as well as the necessary skills to carry out an emergency rescue of a co-worker. Training methods in Safe Working at Height involved rope rescue, work restraint, fall arrest, work positioning and rope access techniques. The Kurdish drillers spoke limited English so all the training was conducted through a local translator. Chris continued: 'During our instructor's time in the region, an incident occurred in the centre of Erbil. We quickly had to re-assess the risk dynamic and to ensure safety, Stirling's security procedures at the drilling site were very quickly enacted, restricting access to the site for two days until the situation normalised. 'Red One has subsequently reviewed the risk assessment for working in Kurdistan and has consulted the Foreign Office for further advice. We are continuing to work in the area and, with Stirling, are maintaining a watching brief to constantly assess the security situation'