Industry’s most trusted awareness-level PSM training hasn’t gone away — it just got a whole lot better.
The Association of Reciprocal Safety Councils (ARSC) has reimagined the Basic Orientation Plus® (BOP) program to meet the needs of today’s workforce while preserving the gold standard you’ve counted on for decades. ARSC has enhanced the program with a more interactive learning experience and flexible delivery options that align with the demands of your job sites and the realities of today’s workforce.
Modern Format. Trusted Framework.
- OSHA-Aligned, Vetted by Industry Experts
Compliant with applicable OSHA 29 CFR 1910 and 1926 PSM regulations. - Delivered Your Way
Choose instructor-led, lab-based, or online delivery. - Focused and Efficient
First-time students can complete online training in 3 hours – or in 4 hours in a classroom. It’s high impact without cutting corners. - Measures Knowledge Continuously
Built-in quizzes give real-time feedback and there’s graded testing throughout to maintain legal defensibility. - Active Learning Tactics
Real-world scenarios simulate a day on the job. Learners stay engaged start to finish. - Third-Party Oversight You Can Trust
ARSC is a nationwide network of safety councils and audited by a third party to ensure consistent quality, fairness, and compliance across the board.
The reimagined BOP program gives you the flexibility to train the way that works best for you—without compromising quality. The BOP can now be delivered three ways.
- Instructor-Led: Learn in a traditional classroom setting led by expert facilitators who bring real-world safety experience to life.
- Computer Lab: Complete training in a quiet, on-site lab environment at one of our training locations throughout Louisiana.
- Online: Select councils provide an online option with remote proctoring, ensuring both flexibility and accountability. If you are interested in 24/7 online access to the BOP, please call either Alliance Safety Council at (225) 766-0955, Wyoming-Montana Safety Council at (307) 635-4592, or Gulf Coast Safety Council at (504) 469-7787. More participating Councils coming soon.
The BOP can also delivered be in Spanish instructor-led, in a computer lab, or online.
Course Overview
BOP provides awareness-level safety training that ensures workers are prepared to work safely and efficiently across industries. A comprehensive topic list is below:
- Preparing for Onsite Work
- General Safety
- Process Safety Management Overview
- Work Permits
- Incident Reporting
- Emergency Action Plans
- Fire Prevention
- Hazard Control Methods
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Hearing Conservation
- Respiratory Protection
- Roles and Responsibilities in Safe Workplaces
- Navigation Rules and Signs
- Hazard Communication
- Job Safety Analysis
- Confined Space
- Hot Work
- Fall Protection
- Scaffolding
- Excavation, Trenching & Shoring
- Electrical Safety
- Lockout/Tagout
In addition to these modules many of our members add local enhancements to the program for their specific area. After completion of the classroom training a validated test containing 50 questions is administered and each student must be able to answer at least seventy percent of the questions correctly to be deemed a passing score.
The BOP and its Refresher are reviewed for revisions needed on a regular basis by the ARSC Curriculum Committee.
These programs are not meant to relieve contract companies of all training responsibilities. There is always some job specific information that cannot be covered in a classroom or computer-based training and must be covered in the field.
The BOP Remains Accepted at Hundreds of Sites
Please Note: The guide is currently being vetted by ARSC councils and will be updated accordingly. Site acceptance is subject to change at any time by the facility owner.
More About the BOP
ARSC was created to address the need for uniform and consistent training of contract workers in the petrochemical plant environment. Our programs are now used in many industrial environments. We currently have thirteen members within our organization and several of those have satellite locations. To become a provider of BOP, visit the ARSC membership webpage to learn about becoming a member of the Association. Membership requires that applicants meet a stringent set of requirements that are designed to assure the organization maintains the credibility and professionalism which our customer base demands.
ARSC has two specific programs for general safety awareness training that are taught at the member organization locations, Basic Orientation Plus® and Basic Orientation Plus - Refresher.
The Basic Orientation Plus® reciprocal contractor safety awareness training program was designed to meet the classroom training requirements of the standards listed in the Code of Federal Regulations as enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) in the components it covers. This website contains a chart that highlights what is covered in each of the training components and what the employer must cover. The actual methods of compliance with these standards will depend on the rules, regulations and procedures in effect at each specific refinery or plant worksite.
The purpose of the Basic Orientation Plus® orientation is to inform the new contractor employee of general safety rules, regulations, practices, and principles associated with the construction and contract maintenance/services industry, as well as, re-informing and updating the experienced employee.
Additional Programs
We currently have additional programs to be considered for reciprocity among our membership and anticipate more programs to be reciprocal in the future. These programs are: Benzene, Bloodborne Pathogens, Confined Space, Electrical Safety, Elevated Work, HAZCOM, Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), Hearing Conservation, Lockout-Tagout, PSM, Respiratory Protection, Line of Fire, FireWatch, Protect Watch.