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Grating's Great Strides in Workboat Safety
01 Sep 2005
The Irish Sea Pioneer is a self propelled jack-up marine construction unit owned and operated by Halliburton inLiverpool Bay UK, providing offshore support services to BHP Billiton . The vessel's raised cargo rail system is essential to operations but was creating a trip hazard to crew working on deck.
Halliburton was understandably concerned about the Health & Safety issue and went looking for a strong, load bearing, non-slip surface that would allow crew to move around the ship's deck in safety. They were after a walking surface that could cope with oil and water and provide a robust self-supporting surface whilst at sea.
After a workforce consultation and a formal Hazard Assessment, a solution was identified. Essex UK based Fibreglass Grating Ltd supplied 50mm thick panels cut into specific shapes which fitted around the cargo rail system to provide a flush fitting work area.
As strong as steel but with only a quarter of the weight, Fibreglass Grating could be fitted using small hand tools.
This had the effect of making all the deck area one level, with the gritted top surface further enhancing safety. With the trip hazard eliminated, the crew can now work safely over the entire deck area, even when the ship is at sea in severe weather conditions.
MJ Information No: 21007
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