Operator training

Vessel crews

Crews are trained to protect their own lives as well as to preserve the vessel in the event of a spill, fire and/or explosion. They are therefore trained to rapidly stop a leak and to correctly use the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Response teams

In order to be operational, response teams must attend in-class and practical training sessions on HNS, but more importantly must regularly implement this knowledge through exercises simulating chemical spills. Exercises are the opportunity to validate the contingency plan, deploy response equipment and to ensure that it is in good working order, while testing the response organization.

Several States have already implemented such initiatives for operators belonging to the administration. Alongside these government initiatives, certain chemical industries, with very large sites, have private response teams that are trained internally.

In 2011, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) developed two training courses on preparing for and responding to marine incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances. This was an initial step towards a global training standard for responding to chemical spills.

Independent training organizations offering courses on HNS pollution remain scarce, as efforts are still focused on oil.