Offshore staff

(UK) - The first integrated Emergency Response Service Center (ERSC) in the UKCS goes live on March 6.

Rubicon Response's center, located at Marine House, Blaikies Quay, in Aberdeen will be providing 24/7 emergency response services to clients with assets operating in the North Sea.

Developed to provide multiple North Sea operators with access to a dedicated professional emergency management service, the ERSC has been equipped with state- of-the art technology.

The strategic location of the facility will enable the dedicated team from Rubicon Response to work closely with emergency services, industry regulators, and other agencies, many of whom are located within the same building, to provide an efficient and swiftly integrated emergency response service.

"The ERSC will be the first point of contact for a number of North Sea installations, providing them with an instant response in emergency situations," explains Jim Walker, managing director of Rubicon Response.

"The facility is held at a constant state of readiness, allowing response to any type of incident at any time."

Various levels of service are available at the ERSC, ranging from call-out and mobilization services, relative and media response functions, through to a fully supported incident management room.

"One of the main advantages of the ERSC is the ability to respond immediately," says Walker.

"Out of hours it can take on average 40 to 60 minutes to mobilize an emergency response team, and that time can be vital in an emergency.

"The fully trained responders, with backgrounds in the oil and gas industry, the military and emergency services, are on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

"Should an incident arise, they immediately begin the job of providing support, notifying agencies, and recording events until the full team assembles."

Recent trends such as the emergence of smaller operators in the North Sea with smaller workforces, has seen the introduction of new potential difficulties for such companies around the ability to provide an emergency response team.

New legislation such as corporate manslaughter, the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH), and the Civil Contingencies Act have also raised awareness of the need for companies to be able to demonstrate their capability to provide measurable response to an incident from a facility using standardized best practices.

Evidence of robust and high calibre emergency response plans is often now a requirement of the tender process that operators face when bidding for contracts.

03/06/06