The importance of the IMIST standard for global safety

OPITO explains why its IMIST standard remains essential for global safety

Across the energy sector, work is becoming more mobile, projects more complex, and operating environments more demanding. As technologies and energy systems evolve, many of the fundamental risks that workers face remain unchanged. Today, having a shared understanding of safety across the sector matters as much as ever.

The International Minimum Industry Safety Training (IMIST) standard from OPITO, the global, not-for-profit skills authority for safety-critical industries, provides that shared foundation. By giving the global energy workforce a consistent baseline of safety awareness, it supports safer decision-making, strengthens personal accountability, and builds trust across employers, assets, and regions.

“The core purpose of IMIST is to build a universal foundation of safety awareness and behaviour,” explains Lucie Booth, product development manager at OPITO. “The standard gives every worker – regardless of where they are in the world or who they work for – a baseline understanding of hazards, controls and safe systems of work.”

That consistency is critical in an industry where personnel regularly move between employers, assets, and even countries. “A minimum standard ensures that every worker is aligned on how hazards arise, how they can escalate and how they’re controlled,” Booth says.

OPITO’s IMIST standard addresses risks that are familiar across the sector. These include both major accident hazards and the everyday operational risks that contribute to incidents over time. IMIST also focuses on common operational hazards across worksites and regions. The standard also covers organisational contributors to incidents, such as weak permit to work controls, inadequate risk assessments, and unsafe behaviours that go unchallenged.

“The aim is to ensure workers understand both the technical and behavioural patterns that contribute to incidents,” Booth explains.

OPITO’s IMIST standard is built on the understanding that safe operations depend on workers’ personal responsibility as well as technical compliance.

“Across multiple units, the standard emphasises that safety isn’t just about knowledge,” Booth explains. “It’s about individual behaviour and accountability, which is something that’s so important within the energy industry.” Booth says.

The standard reinforces practical behaviors such as selecting appropriate PPE, intervening when unsafe conditions arise, and feeling empowered to speak up. By embedding these expectations, the standard supports organisations in cultivating a strong safety culture, where workers make safe decisions consistently and proactively.

“The standard ensures workers across different countries, operators, and contractors all have the same minimum level of competency,” Booth explains. “Whether IMIST is delivered in Ghana or in France, it’s exactly the same.”

With assessment, delivery conditions, and outcomes all standardised, employers can trust what an OPITO-approved IMIST certificate represents. Workers also benefit from this consistency and recognition as they move between roles and regions.

For organisations across the sector, IMIST remains a practical reference point for establishing safety fundamentals.

As the energy sector continues to respond to changing conditions, the need for shared understanding and consistent safety behaviors remains constant. IMIST provides the common foundation that organizations rely on to support operations and build a positive safety culture.