Why are MTCS Certificates of Competence valid for only 3 years?
A question which has, understandably, been asked of MTCS on a number of occasions is regarding the length of time that a Certificate of Competence is valid for.
Across the global offshore energy industries, guidelines vary regarding the period of validity for a Certificate of Competence at between 2 years and 5 years, but MTCS has always set this at 3 years.
We believe this to be a fair timespan for someone’s competence to remain valid, which the majority of clients/employers and recruitment agencies agree with.
Is 3 years too long or too short?
It’s definitely a personal opinion either way but a lot can change in the industry in this 36-month window, and it’s entirely possible that changes to legislation or best practice guidelines may have changed in this time.
Quite recent and seemingly unrelated global events demonstrate how change can quickly impact on our working lives – just consider the months before Covid-19 and how quickly everyone’s daily activities were thrown into a state of flux.
Whether we like it or not, change happens fast, and it’s not just global pandemics that cause change: technological developments, working procedures, cultural change and operational priorities.
It’s almost impossible to forecast what change will be, but being as operationally competent in the here and now will help build the personal and organisational resilience to cope.
Why did MTCS decide on 3 years for renewal of Competence Certification?
Before deciding on this timescale, we took into consideration the changes that may occur over a period of time that could affect an individual’s competence, and these include:
1. Safety Critical Activities
Processes and procedures may change over time and such changes can impact the safety of personnel and how they operate or maintain certain pieces of equipment. This can therefore present a considerable risk to both that individual, their colleagues and their place of work if new ways of working have not been factored into an individual’s competence in a timely manner.
2. Technical and Operational Activities
The advancement in technology in the offshore energy sector is rapid and is only set to continue developing at pace – any visitor to industry events such as Subsea Expo or Oceanology will quickly appreciate the array of new technology at the disposal of operators.
We’ve seen for ourselves how this advances year-on-year, so what may change in a 5 year period feels like a very long time for anyone commissioning this equipment and the employees tasked with operating them.
The speed and extent of this technological change deems it impossible for a person’s level of competence to be the same after 5 years. It could equally be argued that 3 years is also too long, however, we must be realistic and believe that 3 years is the most practical and workable timespan.
3. Personal Circumstances of Individuals
The offshore energy and maritime industry is renowned for being transient in the sense that many individuals frequently move from one employer to the next. This invariably means working on different equipment, in different locations (vessels and platforms), with different colleagues and the understandable nuances of an organisation’s working practices.
Some may even leave the industry for a period of time and work in a completely non related role, before seeking to the sector in the future.
In such a situation it naturally follows that knowledge and skills may lapse, so a 3 year check of competence ensures a realistic timeframe is established.
4. Risk Management
Revalidating an individual’s competence is integral to an organisation’s Risk Management process.
It must be remembered – and we can’t stress this highly enough – that individuals in the offshore energy and maritime industry are required to operate multi-million dollar equipment on multi-million dollar subsea assets on projects that could cost billions if safety was compromised.
Along with health and safety, there are also environmental, regulatory and reputational considerations to take into the risk equation.
Does a 3 year check on competence help reduce the risk more than a 5 year check? We’d suggest that it clearly does if done in a comprehensive manner based on sufficient, valid and robust evidence that can be independently assessed and verified.
Over the last two decades, we have on numerous occasions seen MTCS’ competence certification programmes included in an organisation’s risk management documentation or as part of a tender submission. This is their way of demonstrating a commitment to competence, the wellbeing of their personnel and the safe operating practices they undertake.
In conclusion
The longer 5 year option for renewal of a Certificate of Competence has its obvious attraction in that it is less onerous for the individual.
However, we will point to the examples above and stand by our position that 3 years is the practical and workable schedule for renewal, and the right option for both the individual and their employer.
