OPITO Product 5508
Tropical BOSIET with Emergency Breathing System (CA-EBS)
Initial offshore safety and emergency-response training for personnel travelling by helicopter to tropical offshore installations where a Compressed Air Emergency Breathing System is provided.
Develop practical competence in CA-EBS use, helicopter emergency response, HUET, sea survival, first aid, firefighting and self-rescue through a structured OPITO training pathway.
21
5
CA-EBS
4 Year
Guided learning hours
Mandatory units
Compressed Air Emergency Breathing System
Validity
Validity
4 years
Product Type
OPITO Approved Course
Trainers
OPITO Certified and years of experience
Progression
Tropical FOET with CA-EBS
Course Objectives
One programme. Connected offshore emergency competence.
Product 5508 is designed to develop competence in:
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Recognising offshore hazards and controls;
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Understanding key offshore safety-management principles;
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Correctly using CA-EBS;
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Preparing for helicopter emergency landing and ditching;
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Completing simulated helicopter underwater escape;
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Applying sea-survival and first-aid techniques;
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Using basic firefighting equipment;
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And completing self-rescue exercises in reduced visibility.
The Safety Induction is delivered as theory while OPITO indicates an approximate 40% theory / 60% practical balance for the remaining unit
IS 5508 Right For you?
Choose Product 5508 when your offshore journey uses CA-EBS.
This programme is designed for personnel who are new to, or returning to, the offshore industry and need initial offshore safety and emergency-response training before travelling by helicopter to a tropical offshore asset where CA-EBS will be supplied.
Training requirements can vary by operator, project, region and offshore aviation arrangement.
Before booking, confirm your requirement with your employer, operator or mobilisation team.
Helicopter Travel
Required for Personnel travelling by Helicopter to offshore installations.
Tropical Environment
Designed for tropical offshore conditions and operating challenges.
New or Returning
Ideal for those new to, or returning to, offshore industry operations.
Foundation for Safety
Build essential offshore safety skills confident and competent travel.
Understand the offshore environment, recognise the hazards and know how risk is controlled before being required to respond to an emergency.
Five Mandatory Units
01 — OIS-01
Safety Induction
3 hours 20 minutes
Build the knowledge foundation required to understand the offshore operating environment before practical emergency-response training begins.
Learners are introduced to offshore drilling, production, construction, accommodation and specialist-vessel operations, together with the remote and potentially harsh conditions associated with offshore work. The unit develops awareness of major hazards including pressure systems, moving machinery, chemicals and H₂S, electrical energy, suspended loads, working at height, hazardous atmospheres and confined spaces.
The training then connects these hazards with the systems used to control them—Safe Systems of Work, Personal Responsibility for Safety, safety observations, the hierarchy of controls, isolation, machine guarding, electrical isolation and fall protection. Learners also develop awareness of offshore legislation, Safety Case principles, safety-critical systems, performance standards, ALARP, PPE, Permit to Work, toolbox talks, drills, reporting lines and offshore welfare.
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UNDERSTAND
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IDENTIFY
CONTROL
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WORK SAFELY
02 — OIS-81
Helicopter Safety & Escape — Tropical
4 hours 20 minutes
Develop the helicopter-travel and underwater-escape competence that forms the aviation foundation of Product 5508.
Training begins with routine offshore helicopter procedures including pre-flight briefings, correct dress, documentation, prohibited articles, check-in, safe boarding and in-flight requirements. Learners then progress into emergency preparation: communicating abnormal conditions to the crew, securing restraints and lifejackets, understanding aircraft flotation and escape routes, adopting appropriate brace positions and preparing for evacuation following ditching or emergency landing.
Practical exercises develop the Locate → Release → Evacuate sequence through dry evacuation, aviation-liferaft entry, underwater escape from a partially submerged helicopter and full capsize exercises—with and without push-out-window operation. The unit concludes with aviation-lifejacket inflation, spray-visor deployment and boarding an aviation liferaft from the water.
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PREPARE
RELEASE
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BREATHE
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EGRESS
ORIENT
Prepare for offshore helicopter emergencies, establish orientation and perform the required evacuation and underwater escape sequence.
Understand the CA-EBS, perform the checks, deploy it correctly and build controlled breathing competence before relying on the system during an offshore helicopter emergency.
03 — OIS-276
Helicopter Emergencies
CA-EBS Focus
Develop the specific technical and practical competence required to operate a Compressed Air Emergency Breathing System during offshore helicopter emergency preparation.
Learners first understand how CA-EBS works, how it differs from other emergency breathing systems and the function of key components including the cylinder, mouthpiece, demand valve, pressure indicator, purge button, hose and nose clip where fitted. The unit also addresses interaction with the aviation lifejacket and PLB, together with hazards such as lung over-expansion, cold-water gasp reflex, mouthpiece displacement, loss of air, incorrect purging and depletion of the available air supply.
Practical training covers pre-donning checks, correct fitting, one-handed deployment, establishing a mouthpiece seal, purging water, recovering a displaced mouthpiece and using the demand valve. Learners then integrate CA-EBS into dry helicopter emergency preparation before progressing into shallow-water exercises at a maximum depth of 0.7 m measured at the chest. Training includes deployment above and below the surface, exhalation and purge-button clearing, vertical underwater breathing and movement along a horizontal rail for at least 30 seconds, including a change of direction. Underwater ascent using CA-EBS must be directly supervised to ensure the learner exhales during ascent.
CHECK
CLEAR
DON
BREATHE
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DEPLOY
CONTROL
04 — OIS-03
Sea Survival and First Aid
6 hours 20 minutes
Develop the survival and immediate-response capability required after evacuation from an offshore installation or helicopter.
Learners cover offshore emergency arrangements, station bills, escape routes, temporary refuge, muster and abandonment points, alarms, PPE and the actions required before, during and after evacuation. The unit also develops awareness of search and rescue, helicopter recovery, standby vessels, FRCs, MRRDs, TEMPSC and tertiary escape systems, connecting evacuation with the wider offshore recovery process.
Practical training includes TEMPSC mustering and boarding, controlled water entry, helicopter-rescue-device use, individual survival techniques such as HELP and wave-slap protection, and group techniques including towing, chain, huddle and circle formations. Learners also board a marine liferaft from the water and practise immediate first-aid response for injuries including bleeding, burns, chemical exposure and heat or cold exposure.
EVACUATE
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SURVIVE
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FLOAT
RESCUE
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GROUP
Move from evacuation into flotation, survival craft, rescue and immediate first aid as one connected offshore survival sequence.
Recognise the fire, raise the alarm, use basic firefighting equipment correctly and maintain an effective escape response when visibility deteriorates.
05 — OIS-04
Firefighting and Self Rescue
3 hours
Develop basic firefighting competence and the ability to escape safely when smoke and heat reduce or completely remove normal visibility.
Learners examine common offshore fire causes, the triangle of combustion, fire spread through conduction, convection and radiation, and firefighting media including water, foam, dry chemical, dry powder and CO₂. The unit also introduces fixed fire and gas-detection systems and the actions required on discovering a fire, with emphasis on raising the alarm, identifying available firefighting equipment and evacuating to the designated area when necessary.
Practical exercises require learners to use portable extinguishers against appropriate Class A or Class B fire scenarios before progressing into self-rescue. Learners practise smoke-hood use, individual escape under reduced and completely obscured visibility, and small-group escape from smoke-affected areas concluding with muster.
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RECOGNISE
ESCAPE
ALARM
MUSTER
RESPOND
Why the CA-EBS Pathway Matters
Train for the breathing system you may actually use offshore.
Travelling offshore involves a combination of hazards that many personnel may not encounter in conventional workplaces.
The worker must understand the offshore operating environment, recognise major hazards and controls, know how to respond to alarms and emergency instructions, travel safely by helicopter, use aviation survival equipment correctly and respond appropriately if an aircraft ditches. Product 5508 brings these competencies together within one structured initial-training pathway.
The OPITO-defined objectives include identifying offshore hazards and their controls, understanding offshore safety regulation and safety-management principles, demonstrating correct CA-EBS use, completing simulated helicopter emergency and escape exercises, demonstrating sea-survival and first-aid techniques, and using basic firefighting and self-rescue techniques in reduced-visibility environments.
System
Understanding
Operating
Duration
Flotation
Dynamics
Integrated
Egress
CA-EBS Technical Focus
Understand the system before you depend on it.
Product 5508 develops specific knowledge of:
Equipment Components
Cylinder, demand valve, mouthpiece, hose, pressure indicator and other applicable operating controls.
Equipment Condition
How to conduct pre-use checks and confirm correct operating status.
Donning
How to correctly fit the aviation lifejacket and CA-EBS system.
Deployment
How to deploy the mouthpiece and nose clip using one hand.
Breathing
How to establish an effective mouthpiece seal and breathe through the demand valve.
Recovery
How to clear water and recover from a displaced mouthpiece.
Limitations
Understanding risks such as loss of air, improper purging, running out of air and hazards associated with compressed-air breathing.
The learner then progresses into practical use.
CA-EBS Shallow-Water Familiarisation
Build breathing-system competence progressively.
The Product includes dedicated CA-EBS exercises in shallow water at a maximum depth of 0.7 metres measured at the chest.
Learners practice: deployment above the water, deployment below the surface, clearing the mouthpiece by exhalation, using the purge function, deployment using opposite hands, breathing underwater vertically and moving underwater while breathing from CA-EBS.
01
Know the system and how it works.
Understand
02
Wear it correctly and Securely.
Don
03
Complete allpre-use checks.
Check
04
Deploy in the exercise.
Deploy
05
Breathe correctly and stay calm.
Breathe
06
Escape safely and follow instructions.
Escape
Suraksha Marine HUET Simulator
Train the escape in a controlled helicopter environment.
At Suraksha Marine, HUET practical training is delivered using a purpose-built helicopter underwater escape simulator designed to support controlled submersion, inversion and emergency egress exercises.
Product 5508 requires HUET systems to include representative helicopter seating and restraints, push-out windows, controlled lowering, at least 180° rotation, emergency stopping capability and rapid retrieval.
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6 Training Positions
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4 Passengers +
2 Cockpit Positions
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Multiple Push-Out Emergency Windows
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Representative Restraint Systems
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Controlled 180° Inversion
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Dedicated Lowering
& Recovery System
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Controlled Environment
Safe, repeateble conditions for effective learning.
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Progressive Escape Training
Build skills and confidence through structure scenarios
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Operational Realism
Realistic systems and motions that mirror field conditions
What HUET is Really Training
FOUR SKILLS.
One Outcome.
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Reference
Maintain a physical point of orientation
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Orientation
Recognise body and cabin position after movement
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Release
Release restraint at the appropriate stage
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Egress
Locate and pass through the nominated exit
These variations form part of the practical Product 5508 HUET sequence.
HUET Escape Progression
Build the escape sequence progressively.
HUET training increases in complexity as learners develop confidence and competence.
The minimum HUET team includes:
Lead Instructor
Crane/Hoist Operator or Dive Supervisor
OPITO HUET Divers
Pool Safety Person
01
Dry Emergency Landing
Locate the equipment, follow crew instructions and evacuate through
a nominated exit.
04
Partial Submersion + Push-Out Window
Operate the push-out window and complete underwater egress.
07
Post-Egress
Survival
Inflate the aviation lifejacket, deploy the spray visor and board
an aviation liferaft.
02
Ditching Preparation
Identify the exit and integrate CA-EBS deployment into emergency preparation.
05
Capsize
Escape from the inverted helicopter.
03
Partial
Submersion
Escape through an underwater opening.
06
Capsize + Push-
Out Window
Maintain orientation, locate the exit and complete egress
through the nominated push-out opening.
Push-Out Window Competence
Establish the exit skill before the final capsize exercise.
An important assessment detail within the Product Standard is that although push-out windows are fitted for the final capsize exercise, the learner's ability to push out the window is assessed during the partial-submersion exercise.
Demonstrate the exit action before adding the full inversion sequence.
Aviation Liferaft
The emergency continues after leaving the cabin.
Product 5996 includes both dry evacuation into an aviation liferaft and liferaft boarding from the water.
Learners understand the location, operation and use of aviation liferafts.
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Secure mooring lines
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Deploying the sea anchor
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Raising the canopy
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Raft maintenance
Medical Requirements
Be fit for the practical demands of training.
The programme contains physically demanding and potentially stressful activities.
Learners must satisfy an acceptable
medical-entry route, which may include:
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valid offshore medical;
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employer-approved equivalent;
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fitness-to-work-at-sea certificate;
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medical fitness for diving at work;
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or appropriate screening through the OPITO-approved centre.
Additional CA-EBS requirement
The shallow-water CA-EBS exercises have additional medical requirements.
Learners deemed medically unfit for this element must not participate in the additional CA-EBS shallow-water practical exercises.
Medical eligibility should be confirmed before booking.
Swimming Ability
You do not need to hide your swimming ability.
These groups must be clearly
identified during pool exercises.
The standard recognises: swimmers, weak swimmers and designated non-swimmers.
A maximum of two designated non-swimmer learners may participate in any one HUET pool exercise.
Inform Suraksha Marine of your swimming ability before practical training.
Shoulder Breadth Measurement
Where required locally, learners should hold a valid Shoulder Breadth Measurement before offshore helicopter travel.
Shoulder Breadth Measurement may be required depending on the applicable offshore aviation regime. Confirm your mobilisation requirement before booking.
Why Suraksha Marine
Practical competence built around real equipment and controlled simulation.
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Advanced HUET Simulation: Develop helicopter escape competence in a purpose-built underwater evacuation environment.
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CA-EBS Specific Training: Move from equipment knowledge and donning into deployment, controlled underwater breathing and emergency integration.
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Progressive Learning: Build competence from dry exercises into shallow water and simulated helicopter escape.
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Structured Safety Systems: HUET activities are supported by defined instructor, dive and pool-safety resources.
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Integrated Offshore Emergency Response: CA-EBS, helicopter escape, survival, rescue, first aid and firefighting are developed as connected competencies.
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Training Pathway Support: Suraksha Marine can help learners and corporate clients distinguish between the EBS and CA-EBS pathways.
Offshore Preparedness Begins Before the Flight
Product 5508 connects offshore safety knowledge, CA-EBS operation, helicopter escape, survival and emergency response into one structured training pathway.
Breathing. Orientation. Escape. Survival.
Train the system.
Practice the sequence.
Demonstrate competence.
Corporate workforce mobilisation?
Check related Courses:
01
Tropical BOSIET with EBS
Initial tropical offshore safety training integrating CA-EBS use, HUET, sea survival, first aid, firefighting and self-rescue.
04
Tropical HUET with EBS
Focused tropical HUET training integrating rebreather EBS use, underwater helicopter escape, inversion response and survival actions.
02
Tropical FOET with EBS
Further offshore emergency training to refresh and demonstrate rebreather EBS use, helicopter escape, firefighting, self-rescue and first aid.
05
Tropical HUET with CA-EBS
Focused tropical helicopter emergency training combining CA-EBS competence, underwater escape, capsize response and post-egress survival.
