Hydro is taking measures to improve lifeboat operations on its Norwegian sector installations.
Offshore staff
OSLO, Norway --Hydro is taking measures to improve lifeboat operations on its Norwegian sector installations.
Recent trials with models at the Marintek laboratory in Norway have shown that Type FF48 lifeboats take too long to get away from the platform in certain weather/wave conditions.
Most of Hydro's platforms have lifeboats positioned on various sides of the installation, allowing the crews to deploy other boats if winds and waves are too high on one side. Troll B, however, has boats stationed only on one side.
As a consequence, according to Hydro's recent letter to the Petroleum Safety Authority, the company has implemented operational limits when wave heights of 9 m (29.53 ft) are forecast. In these statistically rare cases, production will shut down, and manning be reduced to a minimum. Hydro also has taken steps to strengthen the superstructure of its lifeboats. Now it is focussing on improving their departure speed.
