Workers in protective suits bagging mercury waste behind hazard tape on an offshore platform.

POSEIDON TRAINING COURSE

MERCURY AWARENESS AND MANAGEMENT

The risks of working where mercury may be present, and the controls that limit exposure.

Poseidon Training course. It is not OPITO-approved and does not lead to an OPITO certificate.

Overview

Mercury can be present in crude oil and natural gas, and can collect in process equipment, scale and deposits. Its vapour cannot be seen or smelt. This four-hour course gives anyone who works, or could work, where mercury may be present the knowledge to understand the risks and the controls that limit exposure.

It covers the properties and forms of mercury, its effects on people, equipment and the environment, exposure limits and monitoring, controls, decontamination and waste, emergency response, PPE and the records that must be kept.

MERCURYREQUEST A PLACE

Who it is for

Personnel who are, or could be, working in an environment that could become contaminated by mercury, onshore or offshore. The course also gives awareness to people who are not directly exposed but are involved in projects where mercury could be present, such as onshore project teams. There are no entry requirements.

What the course covers

1.Mercury and its effects: where mercury comes from, its types and forms, the forms found in crude oil and natural gas, and its effects on the human body, on equipment and on the environment.
2.Health risk and health surveillance: who may be exposed, how mercury health risk is assessed, fitness assessment, exposure monitoring and health surveillance, types of monitoring, sampling, and biological monitoring, medical removal and return to work.
3.Exposure limits and measurement: how exposure is expressed for the workplace, workplace air and drinking water, mercury levels in crude oil and natural gas, and residual mercury on contaminated equipment. Limits are given with their authority, because they differ between countries.
4.Controlling mercury risks: the hazards of mercury and the controls that limit exposure, including access, equipment procedures, maintenance, examination and testing, cleaning and housekeeping, and training and supervision.
5.Decontamination and waste: mercury removal technologies at awareness level, mechanical and chemical decontamination, planning and decontamination stations, decontaminating equipment, tools and people, and handling, storing and transporting mercury waste.
6.Emergency response and first aid: fire and explosion involving mercury, spills and leaks, spill prevention and the response procedure, and first aid for mercury exposure.
7.Personal protective equipment: recommended PPE and RPE for mercury, how it is maintained and cared for, and why training in its use matters.
8.Record keeping: the records kept where mercury is present, including mercury data, risk assessments, exposure monitoring, health surveillance, equipment, training, and waste inventories and consignment notes.

How the course runs

Instructor-led, with technical diagrams and oil and gas examples, questioning and discussion throughout, and eight short learning activities and scenarios. Learners do not handle mercury. Where equipment is available, the instructor may demonstrate PPE, RPE, a spill kit and a mercury vapour analyser.

Assessment and certification

The course ends with a 25-minute written knowledge assessment of 28 multiple-choice questions and three scenario questions, in eight sections that match the eight topics, with recorded oral follow-up by the instructor.

Results are recorded for each topic. A Poseidon Training certificate is issued to learners who attend the full four hours and achieve all eight topics. For any topic not yet achieved, the instructor records the further action needed.

Upcoming Mercury Awareness and Management dates