Nautical hub opens £1mtraining unit

College bosses claim the ‘enclosed space trainer’ makes the Fleetwood campus a leader in survival training and maritime, offshore and renewables safety training.

This specialist facility, based at the campus’ Fire Training centre in Thornton, is designed for learning various rescue and safety techniques in a controlled environment and can mirror situations in which workers may find themselves during an incident.

It includes a rabbit warren of tight enclosed spaces where entry and rescue techniques can be practiced in safety.

There has already been a large amount of interest in the new facility from clients in both the offshore and onshore industries.

Ian Ellarby, Head of Offshore, Fire and Safety Training at Fleetwood Nautical Campus, said: “This significant investment in our confined spaces trainer provides exactly what industry requires when preparing to carry out high-risk work in confined spaces.

“With the training we can offer, they can be confident in their ability to rescue those at work if an emergency arose.

“We have received lots of interest in our safety programmes from various onshore clients but it is especially valuable for those based offshore.”

The Fleetwood Offshore Survival Centre now includes features such as a purpose-built river launching facility with a fleet of five enclosed survival craft, an environmental training facility featuring a large tank with a wave machine and a working at height training tower.