Offshore survival and safety instructor for Falck Safety Services Aberdeen, Greig Douglas, 26, shares what a day in the life is like when teaching offshore workers how to survive
My morning
I usually get up at 6am, and have breakfast before getting ready to leave. To avoid being stuck in the notorious Dyce traffic, I aim to leave at about 7am. This gives me time to start preparing for the day ahead, and setting up the classrooms and training facilities before the morning operations meeting at 8am. This gives us the opportunity to discuss the day’s program and any health and safety or equipment issues, before classes start at 8.30am.
My morning routine varies and usually I will be enrolling a group onto a specific course or starting my teaching schedule for the day.
My lunchtime
The time I take my lunch break is totally dependent on what my teaching schedule is like from day to day. We all usually have out lunches at the work canteen where the food is pretty good and it gives us a chance to have a chat and relax as a team. In my job I need energy, so I try to choose a meal that will give me a boost but is not too heavy, so usually have a bowl of soup, a bread roll, some side salad and some fruit, which usually keeps me going the rest of the day.
My afternoon
Again the afternoon depends on the schedule for that particular day, I could be in the pool doing a helicopter escape training session, outside doing some lifeboat work, in class for safety induction, or assisting others with drills that they are running. We also get some study time, as this is a very dynamic industry where things are changing all the time and at Falck Safety Services, we obviously want to stay up to date with what is happening so that we are as informed as possible.
My evening
Usually we finish anytime between half past four and 5pm, occasionally there is some overtime work that we can volunteer for, and we often help out at client nights and charity training challenges when they happen. Some evenings I play bowls so I have to grab an early tea and get to whatever club I’m playing at for around 6pm. Some evenings I go to the gym for a workout and a swim (despite spending a lot of my time at work in the pool).
That is a general outline in the day of my life as an offshore survival and safety instructor – it’s a fun job, which can be very challenging at times, but I enjoy it.