Examining trainees' success in Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET) on the basis of their anxiety levels.

Background: A descriptive study was designed to determine the relationship between the anxiety levels of offshore workers participating in the Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET) and their success in the training and to examine the potential factors affecting anxiety.

Materials and methods: The trainees' state-anxiety values were determined using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Form TX-1 before and after each exercise, and trait-anxiety values were determined using TX-2 after all exercises had been completed.

Results: Among 276 trainees, female (n = 17), non-swimmers (n = 22) and younger trainees (median age: 35 [32-41]) had higher state-anxiety levels. The most anxiety-provoking and the most unsuccessful parts of the training were helicopter escape, the use of Compressed Air Emergency Breathing System (CA-EBS), and sea survival, respectively. After the CA-EBS exercise, where failure was seen for the first time, the anxiety level of those who failed increased.

Conclusions: The post-exercise state-anxiety scores of the unsuccessful ones were higher than those of the successful ones.