Offshore Solutions Celebrates Safety Record
Offshore Solutions, the joint venture between AMEC and Cofely Nederland based in IJmuiden, the Netherlands, is celebrating the success of its Offshore Access System (OAS), achieving 100,000 man-hours without any lost time incidents. With the first system entering operation in 2006 this latest milestone has been achieved in less than three years.
Seven Offshore Access Systems have been sold or leased since 2006, four of which are being used in the Central and Southern North Sea. Together the systems have made in excess of 20,000 operational connections, carrying out more than 25,000 individual crossings. There are a further three units currently in production and due for completion later this year. The most recent OAS to enter operation is currently working in the Central North Sea for Chevron, mounted on-board the FD Incredible.
OSBV general manager Ian Sadler said: “We are delighted to have achieved this milestone with the OAS never having experiences a lost time incident. Given the differing geographic locations and diverse conditions we operate in, this latest announcement leads us to believe the OAS is the safest marine personnel transfer method available. While it is still a relatively new product, our key objective is to continue developing the OAS technology, improving its efficiency and promoting a safe culture and behaviour. As such, we believe that the OAS has the capability to completely transform the movement of personnel in marine environments.”
The OAS is a hydraulically operated, heave compensated, telescopic gangway designed to operate in up to 2.5 metre Hs (significant wave height) sea states. Attaching a vessel to an offshore installation through a combination of smart electronics measuring the vessel movements, the OAS is secured to the installation through a patented connection mechanism.