Trening og øving – OFFB – Operatørenes forening for beredskap

Each year, OFFB plans and carries out over 100 activities for our members. 2026 is no exception. Several exercises per week have already been scheduled for the first quarter.

Varied themes

Operators in the petroleum industry are required to ensure that necessary training and exercises are conducted so that on-duty personnel are always capable of handling incidents.

“We see that our member companies are committed to exercising. But the frequency, format, and scenarios will vary,” says Trond Gleditsch, Head of Training and Exercises at OFFB.

Gleditsch has several years of experience in planning and conducting exercises and training sessions, both in the Armed Forces and for private companies.

Scenario selection — meaning the type of incident they want to train for — is often linked to different DFSAs (Defined Hazard and Accident Situations). DFSA is a key concept in risk management and emergency preparedness planning. The DFSAs within the energy and petroleum sector cover incidents with major accident potential, such as hydrocarbon leaks and well control events, in addition to personal injuries and work-related illness. (Source: Havtil.no) Source: Havtil.no )

“It may be a topic specifically related to an upcoming operation, or it may be something they haven’t exercised for in a while. In 2025, we held exercises on themes such as oil spill response and oil types, but also scenarios involving security, cyberattacks, and cooperation with other actors,” Gleditsch explains.

He highlights Harbour Energy as one of the OFFB operators that has chosen a systematic method to ensure that all on-duty personnel receive broad and regular training.

“Harbour has a series of exercises where they build on lessons learned each time. We also developed a specific exercise format where they trained on stakeholder follow-up and collaboration while an incident was unfolding. It was successful and very educational,” says Gleditsch.

In the first quarter, Harbour Energy will train on handovers between duty teams—meaning that one team comes in after a few hours and takes over incident management from the first team. This is particularly relevant for long-lasting incidents, something OFFB has its own project on through ICS training.

Read also: OFFB prepares ICS training https://offb.no/en/ics-trening-fra-juni/ OFFB prepares ICS-training

Various exercises adapted to goals and scenario

The scope of the exercise determines how many people will participate and be evaluated. The shortest exercises are so-called tabletop exercises for reviewing bridging documents, with a focus on procedures and responsibilities related to notification routines during an emergency incident. In these exercises, the first line (platform manager) is often involved. The method is designed so that participants review the operation and planning documents together and then discuss actions and decisions based on input provided by the exercise leader.

Exercises are otherwise divided into different levels. The level indicates how many of the lines in the emergency organization participate. Level 1 means one line participates; level 2 means two lines are involved, for example second and third line.

Read also: OFFB prepares ICS training https://offb.no/en/ics-trening-fra-juni/ Read also: Training and exercises in OFFB Trening og øving – OFFB – Operatørenes forening for beredskap

The goal is always the same: Everyone on duty should feel confident that they can master their role.OFFB requires at least one exercise per quarter for duty personnel to remain eligible for duty.

How are exercises created?

Before the exercise, a scenario and a script are prepared reflecting the exercise goals. These go through several review stages to ensure relevance and realism.

“The scenario is often based on experience and real ‘near-miss incidents’. We want it to feel as relevant as possible,” Gleditsch says.

Those who will participate in the exercise control group or response cell are invited to a separate briefing before the exercise.

A dedicated observer closely monitors the exercise at both 2nd line (operational level) and 3rd line (strategic level). The overall goal is that the emergency organization handles the incident safely and effectively. After the exercise, observers and participants conduct a debrief. A written report summarizing key findings is also distributed afterwards.

“We have procedures and performance requirements that must be reflected in exercise objectives and thus in evaluations. The overarching goal is that everyone on duty feels confident that they can fill their role and do the job if the phone rings,” says Gleditsch.

“In 2023, we carried out 137 trainings and exercises based on 11 different Defined Situations of Hazard and Accident (DSHA). The activity level has been high, and the results are good,” says Trond Gleditsch, head of training and exercises at OFFB.

Changing demands over time

OFFB’s members are different, and their activities vary over time. This is reflected in the demand for training and exercises. In order to understand what the companies need, and to be able to deliver in the best possible way, each member has a dedicated contact person at OFFB. We use the term POC (point of contact).

“It’s a bit like having a paid-for best friend,” says chief of staff Kim Åke Sviland with a smile.

He is the new POC for Wintershall Dea Norge, as from 2024.

While getting to know Wintershall Dea’s emergency response organisation, Sviland has shadowed colleague Magnus Klem Husebye over the last months.

“Kim joined OFFB in March 2023, and was included in the early phase. This manner of working ensures a good overlap and maintains continuity. As a POC, you get to grips with the continuity of the operations, spanning from exploration to production. This broad view would have been fragmented if one person was responsible for keeping track of operations, another one for training, and a third for keeping the daily contact,” says Klem Husebye.

_{Magnus Klem Husebye, Kim Åke Sviland and Øyvind Norheim are making plans for Wintershall Dea's coming exercises.}

“Our goal is to maintain a neat and simple dialogue. The operator knows who to talk to at OFFB, and we keep track of history,” Sviland adds.

In collaboration with Wintershall Dea's emergency preparedness and security lead, Øyvind Norheim, Sviland is now scheduling the activities that OFFB will deliver this year. The "counterparty" agrees that the role of the POC and cooperation on the exercises works well.

“It is very good to have one specific person to turn to when needed. I think we cooperate well with OFFB in arranging good exercises, so that everyone involved in emergency response at Wintershall Dea is as well prepared as possible,” says Norheim.

Learning is the goal

At OFFB, we perform emergency response tasks every day. But many of the people, who are on emergency response duty for their companies, may have completely different daily work tasks. It is therefore essential to set up the exercises in such a manner that the duty teams are provided with the best possible outcome.

All training and exercise activities are considered important contributions to the continuous improvement of the emergency response functions. Depending on the activity and the number of people included in the duty team to be exercised, we will agree on how to set up the training or exercise in question. For example: Whether it should be a table top, or a level 1, level 2 or level 3 exercise. table top, nivå 1-øvelse, nivå 2-øvelse eller nivå 3-øvelse.

_{All personell in our on-duty teams are required to participate in a certain number of exercises each quarter. Information Coordinator Patricia Karlsen and Emergency Leader/Training and Exercise Leader, Trond Gleditsch, during an exercise in our emergency room at Forus.}

“At OFFB, we divide training and exercise activities into several levels, depending on how many of the member's emergency response lines are involved. A series of exercises is often carried out, using the same scenario, so that all the duty teams will have been trained, and the learning outcome for the company as a whole will be as good as possible,” Gleditsch explains.

OFFB also participates in the planning and implementation of full-scale exercises, in collaboration with other actors involved in emergency preparedness and response. These exercises rotate between the operating companies, with all other members invited to take part, as was the case with Exercise Draugen in 2023.

Monthly status meetings

The POCs have monthly status meetings with their operator’s contact person, to discuss and review the coming activities and plans.

“Together with the member company, we chart their demand in terms of training activities. They may for instance need to practice more on oil spill prevention and recovery. We then set up an exercise with a realistic scenario, which the operator of course has to approve,” says Sviland.

He enjoys his role as POC.

“You become very involved and gain a great deal of insight into the operator's activities, and it’s your job to convey this to the others on duty at OFFB. It is always exciting when companies are preparing for new drilling operations. I believe 2024 will be a year of many constructive exercises,” says Sviland.

OFFB have room for more members

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