The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited

Operator for the NNPC/Shell/Agip/Elf Joint Venture

HSE REFERENCE MANUAL

Module-05
Survival Swimming

Business
Integration

HSE MS

Hazards
Quality & Effects

Revision 1

August 2001

Document No: SPDC 2002-150-05

 Survival Swimming

STATUS PAGE

Title: Standards for Surviving Swimming

Author: HSW-SYS

Reviewed by: HSW-SYSH

Authorised by:

Document Owner: HSE

Document Number: HSE Mod-05

Security: Non-confidential

Distribution: All SPDC staff via EDMS

To be Revised before: October, 2004

Change history:
Revision Date Pages Reason
0 October 2000 All Initial publication
1 August 2001 All Technological/Operational

Language:
In this document the recommendations for a course of action are made with varying degrees of emphasis.
As a rule:
 The word ‘may’ indicates a possible course of action.
 The word ‘should’ indicates a preferred course of action.
 The word ‘shall’ indicates a mandatory course of action.

Document Control
The only controlled and valid version of this procedure is the document on the SPDC Web HSE-MS page,
of which HSE is custodian.

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TABLE OF CONTENT
PAGE

1.0 GENERAL REGULATIONS 4

1.1 Survival Swimming 4
1.2 Improved Swimming – Life Saving 4
1.3 Resuscitation Course Objectives 5
2.0 PERSONAL SURVIVAL SWIMMING (BASIC) SKILLS 6
2.1 Personal Survival Swimming (Basic) Training 6
3.0 LIFESAVING SKILLS - ADVANCE SWIMMING SKILLS 8
3.1 Lifesaving Training - Advance Swimming Skills 8
3.2 Content of Training 8
4.0 SWIM TESTING ON FIELD SITES 10
4.1 When Required 10
4.2 Authority 10
4.3 Site Facilities 10
4.4 Supervision 10
4.5 Test Criteria 11

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 Survival Swimming

This is one of a series produced by the Shell Petroleum Development Companies (SPDC), which represent
minimum acceptable HSE standards for a wide variety of operations. Individual operating procedures
and/or task specifications should reflect these minimum standards and should be consulted, where
appropriate, prior to start of work.

Comment and feedback from users of this module is encouraged, in order that the series may be updated as
appropriate to reflect current requirements.

For details of the current revision status of all modules, a summary of intermediate updates published since
the last revision, and information on how to comment on this module, please refer to the last edition of HSE
S-00, HSE Standards Master list which is republished at regular intervals.

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1.0. GENERAL REGULATIONS

1.1. Personal Survival Swimming

All Company (i.e. payroll, peripheral, and approved third-party staff) and Contractor personnel
engaged in waterborne operations are required to be capable of swimming to personal survival
level.

Personnel embarking on waterborne locations must possess either a valid swimming certificate (or
passport).

The swimming certificates shall be issued upon completion of the tasks in sub-para. 2.3.

The period of validity of the swimming certificate shall be 3 years. Personnel whose certificates
have expired shall not be permitted to engage in waterborne operations. HSE-SYS Department
shall keep records of swimming data of Company personnel and shall advise Department Heads
and/or Line HSE Focal Points when their staff should be presented for re-testing. Department
Heads and/or Line HSE Focal Points shall ensure that staff present themselves for test.

For Contractors personnel, both the individual Contractors and sponsor Departments will ensure
that such re-tests are carried out and passport revalidated early enough to ensure full compliance
with this requirement.

HSE-SYS shall organise swimming training and tests for Company personnel, and only swimming
tests for Contractors personnel after payment of prescribed test fees and presentation of valid
original medical certificates of fitness to withstand the rigours of swimming tests. No test should
be carried out without the presence of a lifesaver.

To promote flexibility of operations SPDC encourages all staff who may in the future be engaged
in waterborne operations, to achieve personal survival swimming skills.

Waiver to this policy is only granted where the person is to visit a location on a one-off basis. The
waiver should be authorised by the individual’s Director (or Line Manager in his absence) and the
person must be accompanied by a lifesaver. One lifesaver should cover 3 persons only.

1.2 Lifesaving - Advanced Swimming

To upgrade overall swimming skills and to provide lifesaving skills in waterborne locations,
selected Company staff regularly engaged in waterborne operations will be nominated to attend
lifesaving training within 3 years of attaining the personal survival swimming certificates.
Selection will be based on achieving a distribution of staff with lifesaving skills throughout the
operations.

Thereafter, these staff shall repeat the Lifesaving training at 3 years intervals for as long as they are
regularly engaged in waterborne operations.

Lifesaving training shall be organised by HSE-SYS Department in Warri, Port Harcourt and other
locations identified from time to time.

Staff who complete the Lifesaving training and who wish, on a voluntary basis, to progress to the
Royal Lifesaving Society General Bronze Medallion Standard shall be given encouragement.

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1.3 Resuscitation

Whilst rescue of victims from water is itself very important it is essential that employees are
additionally able to carry out Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to optimise the survival
chance of a casualty found to be unconscious and not breathing. Survival chances of a casualty are
considerably increased if, immediately upon the diagnosis of asphyxia and cardiac arrest, CPR is
applied. Delay (e.g. waiting for a Nurse to arrive) reduces the chance of recovery.

It is desirable for levels of ability in CPR to be high and widespread throughout the workforce and
regularly practised in order to assure effectiveness in an emergency situation.

Training in CPR is to be provided with priority given to persons regularly engaged in waterborne
operations. Medical Department shall organise the Resuscitation training in CPR using in-house
resources, Nigerian Red Course or the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS).

2.0. PERSONAL SURVIVAL SWIMMING (BASIC) SKILLS

2.1. Personal Survival Swimming (Basic) Training

Personnel for Training: Any employee involved in waterborne operation.

Duration of Course: Normally 10 Days

Exemptions: Employees who are able to demonstrate the ability to

complete all the tasks demanded in the course.

Content of Training
The training will cover the following areas:
- Swimming pool policy
- Water safety at work
- Water safety at home
- Instruction on the basic elements of personal survival swimming
- Aquatic breathing techniques
- Streamlining in the break stroke
- Gliding and aquatic breathing
- Breast stroke body position
- Breast stroke hand pull and leg kick
- Kick board pull and breathing
- Elbow position during pull
- Treading water
- Surface diving technique to swim off dangerous object and techniques of water
entry in case of danger.

The training will be run on a flexible basis to cater for the varying pace of learning and skill
acquisition among trainees.

During the training, employees will be expected to complete each of the tasks listed
below. Each task should be attempted when the individual employee is confident and

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competent enough to be successful and need not be presented in sequence as a test at the
end of the training.

Tasks to be completed (Standard Test)

i) Tread water (suspend) for 2 minutes.

ii) From the surface of the water, submerge and pass through two rings placed 2
metres apart before re-surfacing.

iii) The rings (1 metre in diameter) shall be placed in deep enough water for the
1
upper edge to be well below the surface.

iv) Swim a minimum of 50 metres non-stop and unaided using any

stroke, except back stroke.

NB No assessment should take place in deep water until the employee is competent
to swim in deep water.

3.0. LIFESAVING SKILLS - ADVANCED SWIMMING SKILLS

3.1. Lifesaving Training - Advanced Swimming

Personnel for Training: Employees engaged regularly (at least weekly) in

waterborne operations having gained the Personal
Survival Swimming Certificate.

Duration of Course: Normally 5 Days

Exemptions: Employees holding a current RLSS Bronze Medallionor

its equivalent.

3.2. Content of Training

The training should cover such aspects as:

- Assessment of basic swimming skills
- Types of rescue aids and casualties
- Lifesaving swimming strokes
- Types of rescue
- Entry to unknown conditions
- Entry from a height
- Approaching a casualty in the water
- Assisting the casualty from the water
- Accompanied rescue
- Stroke improvement
- Initiative training
1

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- Skills reinforcement
- Use of personal floatation devices (lifesaving appliances)
- Treading water and communicating to a conscious casualty
- First aid and resuscitation skills*
- Handling of suspected spinal injury
- Survival circle

Each day should be divided into 4 sessions. Each session should be a minimum of 1½
hours long.

NB: Use appropriate teaching aids.

*Resuscitation training

Employees should be able to:

a) understand the need to ensure the safety of both casualty and rescuer;

b) assessment the needs of the casualty quickly and accurately;

c) diagnose Asphyxia and Cardiac Arrest;

d) understand the need for and demonstrate ability to open the airway by the
extension of the neck;

e) apply Expired Air Resuscitation (EAR)

f) apply EAR to a casualty suspected of having suffered spinal injuries

g) apply Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) as a single operator and in

conjunction with an assistant;

h) place a casualty in the recovery Position;

i) appreciate the need for and treat a casualty for shock;

j) call for assistance without placing the casualty at risk.

It is essential that upon completing this training, resuscitation skill practice should
continue on a regular basis.

Effective CPR can only be practised on resuscitation manikins. Suitable manikins

equipped with feedback facility indicating the effectiveness of the CPR being
administered, shall be provided for the training by SPDC.

There will be no formal assessment of new skills during this training. Those who failed
the pre-training basic skills assessment are unlikely to benefit from this training and
should be re-allocated to the basic skills.

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Although there is no formal assessment, employees will be expected to take a full and
active role by attending all sessions and completing tasks set.

4.0. SWIM TESTING ON FIELD SITES

For enhanced safety, swim testing of persons has been and will continued to be carried
out in designated swimming pools under the supervision of qualified persons. However,
in exceptional circumstances, swim testing at approved places in field locations may be
allowed by Divisional Management.

Approval for swim testing on a field site will be based on the following conditions:

4.1. When Required

Required swim testing is only for emergencies (e.g. a major oil spillage to be cleaned up
urgently) or a few persons required to work or a short duration of time (a week or so) in a
remote/far away location.

The need to catch-up with delayed scheduled work cannot be regarded as “exceptional
circumstance” or “emergency”.

4.2. Authority

Written approval of Divisional Management must be obtained. Such approval will be

only for the day of the proposed test or batch of persons to be tested, lasting at most a
couple of days i.e. no standing approval. The request for approval for swim testing
outside a swimming pool shall be signed by the Head of sponsor Department.

The Head of HSE Systems Department or his designated Safety Adviser has to be aware
and involved.

4.3. Site Facilities

The site chosen should be familiar, e.g. a recently dredged or swept slot and the water in the area
calm and reasonably clear (i.e. no strong current, no underwater obstacles, no soft/muddy soil, no
snakes, etc.). The area has been demarcated and marked to indicate depth at all sides preferably
not deeper than 3 metres. No uncharted body of waters shall be used.

An easily manoeuvrable engine boat manned by a qualified crew (operator and helper) is
on standby, and equipped with personal floatation aids and lines, boat hooks for retrieving
lifebuoys (rings), etc.

4.4. Supervision

One of the SPDC approved swimming trainers is present to conduct the test, while a supervisor of
sponsor Department and the Contractor’s supervisor are present on site to supervise the
proceedings and ensure orderliness and disciplined behaviour.

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4.5. Test Criteria

The mode of swim testing on field sites shall consist of:

a) Answer 6 basic questions on water safety.

b) Treading water for 2 minutes, take hold of a rope thrown from the side, and get
pulled to the side.

c) Swimming a distance of at least 50 metres non-stop, unaided using any style,

except back stroke

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