• • • HAZARDOUS AREA EQUIPMENT • • • Protecting offshore crews on
the voyage to net zero Automation can reduce risks to workers when installing offshore wind turbines
he new UK Government has committed to quadruple offshore wind by 2030. However, safety measures are crucial because construction at sea can be riskier than on land, thanks to the constant, unpredictable motion of the waves. Retrofitting automation is the way to protect workers and ensure we reach net zero in one piece, says Laurie Thornton, director of marine construction specialist, MintMech. Workers in the offshore industry face a range of significant risks due to the challenging and unpredictable nature of their environment. When installing or working on offshore wind turbines, crews can often find themselves in dangerous situations. The remote location of these sites makes emergency response more difficult and time-sensitive, further increasing the risks to safety.
T
During any work at sea, the up and down heave motion from swell exacerbates existing workplace hazards and even creates new ones compared to working on land.
Motion of the ocean For example, transferring crew between vessels and offshore structures can be dangerous, primarily due to movement cause by waves. This motion can cause misalignment between vessels and platforms, increasing the risk of injury during boarding or disembarking. In extreme conditions, the vertical movement from heave can make it nearly impossible to transfer safely, putting both crew and equipment at risk.
There are various solutions that exist to mitigate these risks and let crew ‘walk to work’. For example, some gangways can adjust to compensate for the motion of the sea, using shock absorption systems designed to mitigate the effects of heave and offer a more stable platform for transfers.
Automated solutions like these not only improve safety but also enhance operational efficiency by reducing reliance on manual interventions.
Drilling
The roughneck is an iconic symbol of the oil drilling industry. Viral videos showing roughnecks throwing manual tongs to manually install or ‘trip’ sections of drill pipe show how risky the job is, and their signature full-brim hardhats show that hazards can come from any direction. Drilling is also necessary to install turbines. Automating drill pipe tripping would eliminate risks to crew, as well as extending the potential duration of operation. For example, the power swivel or spinner assembly can screw or unscrew the pipe, then an automated iron roughneck can torque the joint. This keeps crew out of the line of fire, reducing the risks of injury and downtime.
The automated process is also more repeatable, and torque values can be relied upon. It may be slightly slower, but depths tend to be shallower than the deep- and ultra deep-water of oil and gas projects, so fewer joints are required. However, the risk and consequences of dropped pipe just
36 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • OCTOBER 2024
as damaging, making the reliability and safety of the system critical.
Tool handling Traditionally, various tooling is manually changed or installed during drilling operations. Unpredictable motion makes doing so potentially dangerous — even a near miss forces operations to stop while the issue is investigated. Using an automated tool handler arm to manoeuvre tooling from the deck for deployment eliminates the risk of human error and injury, ensuring operations run safely and smoothly. The tool handler can even be remotely controlled from a sealed cabin on deck, further protecting the operator from the elements.
Some retrofittable remote tool handlers can simply be installed with brackets and bolts, rather than welded, negating the extra cost, risk and licensing requirements of hot work. This also reduces time in port between projects, as no third-party contractors are necessary, and the operation doesn’t impact normal mobilisation of the vessel.
The cultural shift witnessed over the last few decades has resulted in technical performance and productivity no longer being the primary focus of clients and contractors alike. Instead, safety culture, statistics and mitigations are the leading KPIs across industry.
Achieving a carbon neutral energy system by 2030 is going to be a challenge, but with the right solutions, we’ll get there in one piece.
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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