IMO Resolution A.1079(28) vs OPITO MEM: Which OIM Standard Does Your Career Actually Need?

If you have started researching how to qualify as an Offshore Installation Manager, you have probably run into two very different-sounding requirements: an IMO Resolution A.1079(28) OIM certificate on one hand, and an OPITO "Major Emergency Management" or "OIM Controlling Emergencies" assessment on the other. Plenty of candidates assume these are two names for the same thing, sign up for the wrong one, and find out months later that it does not open the door they were aiming at.

They are not the same credential. They are not even the same kind of credential. One is a full flag-state certification for running a mobile offshore unit; the other is an industry competence assessment focused on a single — critical — slice of the job. Getting the distinction right before you book a course can save you a wasted fee and a lost season.

Here is what each one actually is, who administers it, and how to tell which belongs in your logbook.

The short version

• IMO A.1079(28) is an international certification standard for the people who run Mobile Offshore Units (MOUs). It is administered through flag states (such as Liberia / LISCR), and it covers the whole OIM role — operations and emergencies. This is the certificate that lets you hold the OIM position on an internationally flagged jack-up, semi-submersible, drillship, or barge.

• OPITO's OIM Controlling Emergencies (often spoken of loosely as "OPITO MEM") is an industry competence assessment, not a flag-state licence. It tests an already-experienced OIM's ability to command a major emergency, and it is the standard most associated with the UK Continental Shelf and similar safety-case regimes.

If you are heading for the international mobile fleet, the IMO route is your starting credential. If you are heading specifically for the UK North Sea, OPITO will almost certainly be on your list. For many senior OIMs, a full career eventually touches both.

Now the detail that explains why.

What IMO Resolution A.1079(28) actually covers

IMO Resolution A.1079(28) — adopted in December 2013 — sets out recommendations for the training and certification of personnel on Mobile Offshore Units. Crucially, it does not only address the OIM. It defines a connected family of competence standards for the senior MOU team: the Offshore Installation Manager, the Barge Supervisor, the Ballast Control Operator, and the Maintenance Supervisor.

For the OIM specifically, the standard is built around managing the unit across its full range of states — not just when something goes wrong. A course approved against A.1079(28) takes you through transit, ballasting, positioning, jacking, watertight integrity, stability, and the loss-of-control scenarios that turn a routine operation into an emergency. In other words, it is about competently running the installation, with emergency command as one essential part of a much broader picture.

The other defining feature is who stands behind the certificate. A.1079(28) is implemented through flag-state administrations. When a course is approved by a registry such as Liberia (LISCR), graduates receive a certificate that flag state recognises for service on units flying its flag — and, by extension, that is widely accepted across the global mobile offshore fleet that operates under those registries. This is the framework the Elite Offshore Academy OIM course is built and approved against.

What OPITO's OIM standard actually covers

OPITO (the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation) is not a flag state. It is an industry body that owns and licenses competence standards used heavily in the UK offshore sector and the regions that follow its model.

Its OIM-facing product — OIM Controlling Emergencies — is, in the strict sense, an assessment of competence rather than an introductory training course. It is designed for personnel whose employer has already deemed them ready to be formally assessed in the OIM (or deputy OIM) seat during an emergency. Candidates are put through a series of realistic emergency scenarios in a purpose-built simulator that mirrors the features of their own installation, and are judged against defined performance elements: maintaining a state of readiness, assessing the situation and acting, maintaining communications, delegating authority, managing team performance, and holding up under pressure. Scenarios are graded by severity — from an emergency that is readily controllable, through one that could escalate, to one that forces a full evacuation.

Two things follow from this. First, OPITO's standard assumes you are already an experienced offshore supervisor or OIM — it sharpens and certifies emergency command; it does not build you into an OIM from the ground up. Second, its natural home is the UK "duty holder" and safety-case regulatory regime, where demonstrating major-emergency competence in this specific format is an expected part of holding the role.

The real difference, side by side

	IMO A.1079(28)	OPITO OIM Controlling Emergencies
What it is	Flag-state certification standard	Industry competence assessment
Backed by	Flag state (e.g. Liberia / LISCR)	OPITO (industry body)
Scope	The whole OIM role — operations and emergencies	Emergency command only
Assumes prior OIM experience?	No — it is the qualifying step	Yes — you are assessed, not taught from scratch
Strongest in	The international mobile offshore fleet	The UK Continental Shelf & safety-case regimes
Vessel focus	MOUs: jack-ups, semisubs, drillships, barges	Often fixed installations and UKCS units

The headline takeaway: these are not competitors fighting over the same box on your CV. They answer different questions. A.1079(28) answers "Are you certified to run this mobile unit?" OPITO answers "Can you command a major emergency to the UK sector's assessed standard?" It is entirely normal for an experienced OIM in a long international career to end up holding both at different points.

So which one do you actually need?

Work backwards from where you intend to sail.

You are aiming at the international mobile offshore fleet — drilling rigs, jack-ups, semi-submersibles, drillships, accommodation, pipe-lay or construction barges operating under flag-state certification in regions such as the Middle East, West Africa, South-East Asia, and India. Your qualifying credential is an IMO A.1079(28) OIM certificate from an approved provider. This is the certification that makes you eligible for the seat, and a flag-state-approved course (such as a Liberia / LISCR-approved programme) is the cleanest route to it. It is exactly what the OIM training programme at Elite Offshore Academy is approved to deliver.

You are aiming specifically at the UK North Sea and the operators working under the OEUK / HSE safety-case regime. Here you should expect OPITO OIM Controlling Emergencies to be a requirement — but remember it assumes you already have the experience and the underpinning OIM competence behind you. It is a layer you add once you are operating at OIM level, not a beginner's first course.

You want maximum mobility across regions and vessel types. Then think in sequence rather than either/or: establish your flag-state OIM certification and the prerequisite tickets first (most candidates need a Ballast Control Operator / MODU Stability certificate and IWCF Well Control behind them before the OIM course makes sense), get into the seat, and add region-specific assessments like OPITO's where a contract calls for it.

A useful gut check: if a job advert lists a flag-state OIM Certificate of Competence, that is the IMO A.1079(28) world. If it lists OPITO OIM Controlling Emergencies or references a UK safety case and duty holder, that is the OPITO world. Many North Sea adverts list both, which tells you the role expects an internationally certified OIM who has also passed the UK emergency assessment.

Before you book anything: the prerequisites trap

Whichever world you are heading for, the most common and most expensive mistake is booking the OIM step before you are eligible for it. Flag-state OIM training under A.1079(28) typically expects candidates to already hold a Ballast Control Operator (MODU Stability) certificate, to have IWCF Well Control in place for drilling units, and to bring genuine supervisory sea time — commonly around four years of MOU service with at least one year in a supervisory role such as driller, toolpusher, barge supervisor or BCO. Turn up without those, and the certificate at the end will not do the job you needed it to.

If you are unsure whether your sea time and existing tickets make you eligible yet, that is worth confirming before you pay for a course — a good provider will tell you honestly if you are not ready, and what to collect first.

The bottom line

IMO Resolution A.1079(28) and OPITO's OIM emergency standard look interchangeable on a job advert and are anything but. One is the flag-state certification that qualifies you to run a mobile offshore unit across most of the world's fleet; the other is a UK-rooted assessment that proves you can command an emergency once you are already in the chair. Match the credential to the region and vessel type you are chasing, get your prerequisites in order first, and you will spend your training budget once instead of twice.

If your target is the international mobile fleet, the qualifying step is a flag-state-approved OIM course built to A.1079(28). You can see how that programme is structured, what it covers, and what you need to enrol on the Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) course page.

Frequently asked questions

Is OPITO the same as IMO A.1079(28)?

No. IMO A.1079(28) is a flag-state certification standard covering the whole OIM role on mobile offshore units. OPITO's OIM Controlling Emergencies is an industry competence assessment focused only on commanding a major emergency, used mainly in the UK sector. They serve different purposes and are often both required for a UK North Sea role.

Does an IMO A.1079(28) OIM certificate work internationally?

It is recognised through the flag state that approves the course (for example Liberia / LISCR) and is widely accepted across the international mobile offshore fleet operating under such registries. For UK Continental Shelf roles you may additionally need OPITO's assessment.

Do I need both?

Not necessarily. If you work the international mobile fleet, the flag-state A.1079(28) certificate is usually what is required. If you work the UK sector, you will likely need OPITO as well. Many senior OIMs accumulate both over a career.

Can I take the OPITO OIM assessment with no offshore experience?

No. OPITO's OIM Controlling Emergencies assumes you are already an experienced supervisor or OIM whom an employer has deemed ready to be assessed. It certifies emergency command; it does not train you into the role from scratch.

What should I do first?

Confirm you meet the prerequisites — typically a Ballast Control Operator (MODU Stability) certificate, IWCF Well Control for drilling units, and supervisory sea time — then take a flag-state-approved OIM course. Add region-specific assessments like OPITO's when a contract requires them.