Soft skills a key part of Maersk’s training programme

Though nearly a decade old, training provided by Maersk’s Offshore Simulation and Innovation Centre (MOSAIC) complex in Aberdeen is far from dated.

Continued investment in high-fidelity simulators and expansion of the facility and addition of cloud-based solutions for prolonged learning gives current and future drill crews an invaluable, virtual experience. They learn how their decisions can impact the safety of their asset and the lives of fellow offshore workers.

While these computergenerated scenarios provide hard lessons on the technical aspects of crew resource management, it is the soft skills which can truly aid or abate critical decisionmaking.

“Focusing on human factors, like communication, situation awareness and leadership, is absolutely crucial,” said Martijn van der Meijs, a senior leadership consultant with Maersk Training.

“Not only to reduce human error, but perhaps even more importantly to enable human beings to effectively recognise changes, risks and challenges in a complex operational environment so they can prevent incidents from happening.”

With signs of recovery on the near horizon – last month, Maersk Drilling reported £525 million in new contracts in the first quarter of 2021, the highest level in more than three years.

Van der Meijs said: “Humans are often the most valuable asset in any organisation or company. You can have the most technologically advanced rig in the world, it is humans that make it work.

“Drilling operations are often hazardous and complex, so crews need to be trained to work together effectively as a team, aware of their limitations, competent to take timely and qualified actions and decisions.

“Training in drilling simulators allows people to gain that experience and competence without any operational consequences.”

Maintaining safe operations, particularly in hazardous environments, is highly reliant on the remote crew receiving, interpreting, and acting together on data from a range of sources often in a challenging, highpressure, and remote workplace. To take competence to the next level, MOSIAC provides a mix of classroom and simulator training.

Throughout the training, drillers are monitored and evaluated by the instructors and a thorough debrief explores the actions taken or otherwise and lessons to be taken forward.

Van der Meijs said: “The goal here is to embed reflection and continuous improvement, with the inclusion of the human factors.”

Beyond training, MOSIAC is also undertaking research to more fully understand the nature of human failures in abnormal and emergency situations. This will be used to further enhance the training programme.

A drill training simulator at MOSAIC in Aberdeen.