A decade ago, the oil and gas sector was bracing for an aging workforce edging toward retirement while a new generation stepped into complex, high-risk roles. This transition, dubbed “The Great Crew Change,” raised real concerns about losing hands-on, battle-tested knowledge that only many years in the field can teach.
Today that transfer is well underway, but a different and unexpected threat to safety has emerged: the integrity of how we train and verify those who will keep our industry running.
Adopting new technology is essential to remain competitive, and moving training online has expanded access and reduced costs. However, a critical flaw arises when organizations fail to monitor how their online training can be bypassed.
So, while moving training online is imperative, we must also not turn a blind eye to how easy it is to click through a course without learning anything meaningful.
For workers in the oil and gas industry, where distinct and acute safety hazards contribute to some of the highest workplace fatality rates, training must be a verifiable process, not a risk-washing exercise designed to keep legal and insurance liabilities at bay. It’s unacceptable for organizations to check a compliance box while workers remain unprepared for high-risk situations.
The oil and gas workforce is evolving. New workers trained through online modules are entering an industry where real experience and quick thinking can mean the difference between life and death. But unless we change how we approach online training, this time the next generation won’t be fine.
When we think about workplace hazards, we often focus on the sharp end, the frontline where direct interactions with hazards occur. But failures at the sharp end often reflect latent issues from the whole decision-making chain, the most pressing example being improper training.
With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), bypassing online training has become not just easy, but remarkably sophisticated. AI tools can answer complex questions, generate plausible responses, and even simulate human-like engagement, allowing individuals to "complete" courses without even being present to absorb the critical safety information.
At Cognisense, our office pug Phoebe has earned more than 200 certifications across various high-risk industries. Her latest achievement? A government-issued online defensive driving certificate.
Phoebe doesn’t know how to drive—she’s a dog—yet, on paper, she’s certified to operate a vehicle safely. That’s how easy it is to earn some online safety training credentials.
These weaknesses are not merely anecdotal. In a 2022 incident at a BP refinery in Ohio, two workers died in an explosion. Investigators found the company failed to properly train operators to recognize naphtha during abnormal operating conditions and to execute required shutdown procedures.
Another example of an under-discussed hazard in the oil and gas industry is improper road safety training. Many companies rely on contract drivers who have little oversight over their road safety training. US federal data shows crashes accounted for two-thirds of Texas oil worker fatalities in 2023, making roads increasingly dangerous for local communities. As we know from Phoebe, receiving credentials in safe driving can be easily bypassed.
These examples expose weak links in the training chain. We see unchecked courses, inadequate verification, and a culture that prioritizes completion over comprehension. The consequences extend beyond injured workers to impacted families and communities.
The good news is we have the tools and standards to fix this. I have worked with numerous organizations to meet identity verification and authentic participation requirements outlined in the ANSI/ASSP Z490.1 standard, which is a health, safety, and environmental training standard that was recently updated to account for the widespread adoption of online training in a post-COVID-19-pandemic world.
The tools and technology to ensure safety training delivers real knowledge transfer are readily available to the industry. By working closely with companies, we’ve been able to prove this by validating their online training.
In my previous career as a military firefighter, and through my years in the oil and gas sector, I’ve seen what happens when workers cannot rely on their training in real time. When that trust erodes, cracks form in the system, and disaster becomes not just possible, but probable.
The workforce is changing, and the tools we use to train them are changing as well. What must never change is the industry’s commitment to safety.
It’s up to employers and regulators to ensure the next generation of oil and gas workers are equipped to lead safe, successful, and fulfilling careers—and lives.
Robert Day, managing director of Cognisense, is a distinguished expert in regulatory compliance and industry standards relating to the intersection of technology and training/assessment standards. Day began his career as a military firefighter, laying the foundation for a lifelong commitment to risk mitigation. Over the decades, he has led hazardous materials response teams, conducted risk assessments for major insurers, and advised legal and regulatory bodies on compliance strategies. His work has helped shape legislation and industry standards across sectors and borders. Day now helps organizations navigate the complexities of online training, focusing on verifying program integrity to ensure a competent and safe workforce that can meet any challenge.