ECITB Global has delivered its Leading a Team Safely (LaTS) course internationally for the first time as part of a pilot programme with Hides Gas Development Company (HGDC Ltd) in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
The two days of training were delivered to a cohort of 16 to help develop the leadership safety skills of workers operating on the multi-billion-dollar LNG project in Hela Province, PNG.
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s (ECITB) LaTS course is designed to provide an essential introduction to managing teams within the context of health and safety in the engineering construction industry (ECI).
The course focuses on the essentials of leadership such as planning, implementing, and reviewing, with an emphasis on health and safety.
As well as being a milestone around the LaTS course, the pilot course represents a significant step-up in delivery for ECITB Global in PNG.
Since 2009, HGDC Ltd has been working alongside the PNG LNG Project developer ExxonMobil PNG and its EPC contractors to provide skilled labour and other services.
As well as trainers and workers from HGDC, the LaTS pilot was also attended by representatives from Lihir Gold Mine, Don Bosco Training Institute, and Mapex Training Institute.
ECITB Head of Commercial, Tristan Kemp, said: “ECITB Global is committed to invest time and effort into this emerging economy. We plan to roll out our International Health and Safety Passport (IHSP scheme) further afield in PNG followed by technical courses and apprenticeships later this year.
“This training will support major projects in PNG, particularly for the LNG, mining, manufacturing and construction sectors.
“It will ensure the PNG workforce is qualified to internationally recognised standards to meet industry requirements, while being fully aligned to government bodies such as the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) and the Department for National Content.”
The LaTS course, which is linked to the UK version of the IHSP – the CCNSG (Client Contractor National Safety Group) Safety Passport scheme – will now be rolled out further to benefit workers across the world.
Tristan added: “As part of a strategic alignment with industry standards and to streamline health and safety leadership training across borders, ECITB Global is implementing the Leading a Team Safely (LaTS) course as a key component of its global training framework.
“Following this successful pilot in PNG, the LaTS course will be replacing the existing Supervisor and Advanced levels of our IHSP scheme later this year. The change mirrors the structure of the CCNSG Safety Passport in the UK, ensuring consistency between domestic and international safety training programmes.
“The integration of the LaTS course into ECITB Global’s framework marks a significant evolution in international safety leadership training. It will ensure a consistent, high-quality approach that mirrors UK best practices while being tailored for deployment across complex global projects.
“After reviewing feedback from the pilot, the LaTS course will go on general release throughout our existing licensed training provider network across multiple international regions.
“The course will serve as the standardised leadership-level safety training for supervisors and team leaders operating within engineering construction projects globally, particularly in high-risk sectors such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, renewables, and heavy engineering.”