164 Hour Occupational Safety and Health Supervisor for Oil and Gas Industry

The 164 Hour Occupational Safety and Health Supervisor for Oil and Gas Industry program from the American Institute of Safety Professionals is a supervisor-level certification that develops the operational enforcement, permit-to-work management, and field-level leadership competencies required to supervise safety compliance across the most hazardous operating environments in the petroleum industry: drilling rigs, production wellsites, offshore platforms, refineries during normal operations and turnarounds, petrochemical plants, gas processing facilities, pipeline construction and integrity operations, and tank farms. At 164 hours, this programme combines the technical oil-and-gas safety knowledge of the 155 Hour Specialist with the hands-on supervisory enforcement skills that determine whether safety procedures are actually followed in the field.

Oil and gas safety supervision operates at an intensity level that no other industry approaches. On a drilling rig, the supervisor must enforce H2S contingency compliance, verify well control equipment readiness, manage simultaneous operations between drilling and service company crews, and authorise every permit-to-work before high-risk activities proceed. On an offshore platform, the supervisor manages a permit-to-work system that may process 50 or more active permits simultaneously across production, maintenance, construction, and diving operations. In a refinery turnaround, the supervisor oversees thousands of contractor workers performing hot work, confined space entry, energy isolation, and scaffold erection in close proximity to process units containing hydrocarbons. In every scenario, the consequences of supervisory failure are not injuries but fatalities, explosions, and environmental disasters.

The programme delivers 120 hours of mandatory core modules covering oil and gas permit-to-work system supervision, daily inspection and enforcement for upstream, midstream, and downstream operations, PSM operational compliance enforcement, H2S zone supervision and contingency enforcement, wellsite safety supervision, offshore safety supervision, contractor workforce accountability, incident response leadership, SIMOPS (Simultaneous Operations) safety coordination, and turnaround and shutdown safety supervision. An additional 44 hours of specialised modules cover advanced permit-to-work management, offshore emergency leadership, pipeline construction supervision, tank and vessel entry supervision, and regulatory inspection management for oil and gas facilities.

All training is delivered 100 percent online through Microsoft Teams and the American Institute of Safety Professionals Learning Management System (LMS). Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, professional wallet card, and official transcript, all employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

Upon completing the 164 Hour Occupational Safety and Health Supervisor for Oil and Gas Industry program, participants will be able to:

Prerequisite: Oil and gas industry experience is essential. The 155 Hour Specialist or 70 Hour Trainer provide excellent foundations. The 30 Hour General Industry programme provides the OSHA regulatory base.

Upon completion, graduates receive an American Institute of Safety Professionals certificate, wallet card, and transcript. All credentials are employer-verifiable at amiosp.com/student-verifications.

Level 1 → 70 Hour OSH Trainer for Oil and Gas

Level 2 → 155 Hour OSH Specialist for Oil and Gas

Level 3 → 164 Hour OSH Supervisor for Oil and Gas - YOU ARE HERE

Level 4 → 192 Hour OSH Manager for Oil and Gas

Level 5 → 233 Hour OSH Professional for Oil and Gas 

Supervisors seeking to advance into management should progress to the 192 Hour OSH Manager. Those targeting the capstone should aim for the 233 Hour OSH Professional.

The 164 Hour Occupational Safety and Health Supervisor for Oil and Gas Industry program combines deep petroleum technical knowledge with the enforcement competencies that daily field supervision demands.

Core Modules (120 Hours)

• Oil and Gas Permit-to-Work System Supervision (15 Hours): PTW system architecture for petroleum operations. Permit types: cold work, hot work, confined space entry, energy isolation, excavation, working at heights, lifting and crane, simultaneous operations, radiography, diving. Supervisor as permit authority: reviewing permit conditions, verifying gas test results, confirming isolation, authorising work. Cross-referencing permits for SIMOPS conflicts. Permit close-out and area handback verification. PTW system audit participation.
• Daily Inspection and Enforcement for Oil and Gas Operations (12 Hours): Upstream inspections: drilling rig floor, cellar, BOP area, mud tanks, pipe racks, wellhead area, flowlines. Production inspections: wellhead equipment, separators, treaters, tank batteries, compressor stations. Midstream: pipeline ROW, pump stations, metering stations. Downstream: process units, tank farms, loading racks, utilities. Operation-specific checklists aligned with OSHA, API, and operator requirements.
• PSM Operational Compliance Enforcement (10 Hours): Supervisor’s role in PSM compliance: verifying adherence to written operating procedures during normal operations, startups, shutdowns, and emergencies. Monitoring MOC compliance: ensuring no process changes proceed without completed MOC review. PSSR enforcement: verifying pre-startup checklist completion before equipment restart. Mechanical integrity verification: confirming that overdue inspection items are flagged and equipment is not operated beyond inspection deadlines. Incident reporting compliance: ensuring near-misses and process safety events are reported per PSM requirements.
• H2S Zone Supervision and Contingency Enforcement (8 Hours): Daily H2S zone readiness verification: monitor functionality, alarm set points, wind sock condition, safe briefing area readiness. Personnel accountability within H2S zones: headcount systems, buddy system enforcement, communication protocols. SCBA deployment readiness: equipment locations, inspection status, breathing air supply. H2S escape drill leadership. Enforcement of H2S zone entry restrictions. Managing H2S during well testing and flow-back operations.
• Wellsite Safety Supervision (10 Hours): Supervising drilling operations: rig floor safety during tripping, connections, and casing running. High-pressure operations: pressure testing, well control equipment checks, BOP function tests. Service company supervision: wireline, coiled tubing, cement, stimulation crews. Wellsite crane operations supervision. Rig move safety supervision. Production wellsite supervision: routine maintenance, chemical treatments, well servicing. Wellsite housekeeping and environmental compliance.
• Offshore Safety Supervision (10 Hours): Platform daily inspection routines. Offshore PTW system management: managing 30-50+ active permits simultaneously. Crane operations supervision: supply vessel offloading, personnel transfers, heavy lifts. Working over water supervision: fall protection, man-overboard response equipment readiness. Helideck operations supervision. Offshore housekeeping and dropped object prevention. Living quarters safety. Offshore SIMOPS management.
• Contractor Workforce Accountability (8 Hours): Pre-job orientation for oilfield service companies and contractors. Monitoring contractor compliance during operations. Cross-company safety coordination: operator + drilling contractor + service companies on wellsites. Issuing safety notices and stop-work orders. Documenting contractor safety performance. Escalation procedures. Managing contractor pushback in high-pressure operational environments.
• Incident Response Leadership for Oil and Gas (10 Hours): H2S alarm response: escape, muster, headcount, rescue authorisation. Well control incident response: kick recognition, shut-in procedures coordination, well kill monitoring. Hydrocarbon release response: gas detection, evacuation triggers, ignition source control, ESD activation, fire department coordination. Fire response: fire types in O&G (pool, jet, flash), extinguishing systems activation. Offshore emergencies: general alarm, muster, lifeboat launch, helicopter evacuation. Pipeline release response: isolation, evacuation, notification. Post-incident scene preservation and preliminary investigation.
• SIMOPS Safety Coordination (8 Hours): Identifying SIMOPS conflicts: drilling while completing, production while maintenance, turnaround adjacent to operating units, construction near live process. SIMOPS risk assessment methodology. SIMOPS permit coordination: cross-referencing active permits for interaction hazards. SIMOPS communication protocols. SIMOPS escalation: when to halt one operation to protect another. Case studies of SIMOPS incidents.
• Turnaround and Shutdown Safety Supervision (12 Hours): Pre-turnaround safety planning: scope review, contractor mobilisation safety, temporary facility safety. Peak activity supervision: managing hundreds of simultaneous hot work, confined space, and energy isolation permits. Scaffold erection and dismantling supervision in process areas. Hydrocarbon freeing and purging verification. Blind list management. Piping reinstatement and leak testing supervision. Pre-startup safety review participation. Post-turnaround lessons learned.
• Worker Accountability and Safety Leadership in Oil and Gas (8 Hours): Safety leadership in high-consequence environments. Progressive discipline across operator, contractor, and service company personnel. Managing the production-versus-safety tension. Stop-work authority in cost-sensitive operations. Building reporting culture with transient workforces. Recognition and positive reinforcement. Modelling safety behaviour at the wellsite and on the platform.
• Safety Performance Monitoring for Oil and Gas Supervisors (9 Hours): Tracking operational safety metrics: permit compliance rates, H2S drill participation, inspection completion, near-miss reporting, contractor safety scores. API RP 754 process safety event tier classification awareness. Weekly and monthly reporting to HSE management. Trend analysis at the facility/rig level.

Specialised Modules (44 Hours)

• Advanced Permit-to-Work Management (8 Hours): PTW system design and optimisation. Electronic PTW system management. PTW key performance indicators: permit processing time, overdue permits, permit quality scores. PTW audit methodology. Managing PTW during high-activity periods (turnarounds, SIMOPS). Continuous improvement of PTW processes.
• Offshore Emergency Leadership (8 Hours): OIM (Offshore Installation Manager) emergency duties awareness. Emergency command structure on offshore installations. Temporary refuge management. Evacuation decision-making: sea conditions, helicopter availability, lifeboat launch criteria. Communication with shore-based emergency response. Post-emergency debrief and investigation. Offshore emergency drill design and evaluation.
• Pipeline Construction and Integrity Supervision (8 Hours): Pipeline spread supervision: ROW clearing, trenching, welding, coating, lowering-in, backfill, hydrotesting, tie-ins. Hot tap and in-service welding supervision. Pipeline integrity activities: intelligent pigging launcher/receiver operations, anomaly dig supervision, repair supervision. Pipeline emergency response: leak identification, isolation, third-party damage.
• Tank and Vessel Entry Supervision (10 Hours): Tank cleaning supervision: gas-freeing verification, sludge removal, ventilation management. Vessel entry supervision for process vessels (columns, reactors, heat exchangers): atmospheric verification, isolation confirmation, rescue readiness, continuous monitoring. Managing multiple simultaneous vessel entries during turnarounds. Entry rescue supervision: rescue team readiness, mechanical retrieval systems, confined space rescue coordination.
• Regulatory Inspection Management for Oil and Gas (10 Hours): OSHA inspection management at the supervisor level for oil and gas facilities. BSEE inspection management for offshore operations awareness. State regulatory inspection management (TRRC, NDIC, COGCC awareness). Preparing for operator and client audits. Supervisor’s role during regulatory walkaround. Documentation management during inspections. Post-inspection corrective action coordination.

Participants will receive online training through Microsoft Teams and LMS. Courses are offered by accredited broadcasters and backed by expert instruction and official study materials. All assessments are conducted online and successful participants are awarded certificates that are accepted internationally.

The program is designed to offer flexible online learning with a minimum instructional contact time of 164 hours. Most learners successfully complete the course within one month, allowing them to progress at their own pace while balancing professional commitments.

Candidates can take this exam through an assigned portal from the American Institute of Safety Professionals, A passing score is 70% or higher, and exam results are provided right after by email to the address provided. The exam is open-book, allowing candidates to validate their answers. Any candidates who do not pass have 1 month after their exam to go through the training materials and can take the exam 3 additional times.

For questions about American Institute of Safety Professionals online fees, replacement certificates, additional hardbound materials or any other financial-related issues please feel free to contact accounts@amiosp.com