RigPass (land/sea/ or both) and SafeGulf are basically the same repetitive introductory OSHA safety stuff. Its on the make sure you don’t trip over your boot laces level. As I recall, RigPass includes SafeGulf, but the HR girls at some bayou companies may not know that. I think you can take these courses online for about $100.
A similar, but better course is the OSHA 30, either general or construction. That can be taken online. If you work for a construction company that has government contracts, they may want this.
HAZWOPER 24 hour is a worthwhile course to have. Most companies that transport oil want you to have it. Any oil spill contractor will want you to have it. Some of the oil patch jobs require it.
I had a goofy unskilled AB on a tug. He showed me his resume. He had had a lot of temp jobs on big impressive oil patch vessels, such as the Maersk Developer. I asked how the hell did you get on as AB on the Maersk Developer? He said: “oh, I wasn’t AB; I was an “environmental technician” on the Maersk Developer. I got the job through one of the big temp agencies. I asked what that was and he explained that he had HAZWOPER. He said that HAZWOPER had gotten him a lot jobs. He mentioned that he had a Norwegian Seamen’s Medical, and that that had helped him get the job on Maersk Developer. I asked how he got a Norwegian Medical. He said that a company had sent him to the doctor to get it for a previous temp job.
My company sent me to an Indian doctor in Seattle for a standard USCG physical. This doctor also does Norwegian Medicals and UKOG physicals. I told him since I’m here, I want those too. I got the UKOG for about $150. He wanted $800 for the Norwegian Medical, so I didn’t do that.
Going to sea today, and working for oil patch companies in particular, is a time consuming and expensive paper chase.