Commercial divers operate in some of the most dangerous and extreme conditions of any industry.
Particularly in areas such as the North Sea, they will conduct complex work whilst continually managing the risks associated with working at great depth, in very low temperatures and with severely limited visibility.
Whether through accident or circumstance, the risks associated with any incident when working subsea are of the highest degree and cannot be overstated. Safety standards set by regulators are strict and contingency measures that allow divers to return to safety in the event of an incident must be in place.
Hyperbaric evacuation contingency measures continue to be a major area of focus for diving contractors around the world, and now more so than ever as industry standards are driving demand for robust and proven solutions.
For more than 30 years, JFD has played a key role in advancing hyperbaric rescue capabilities through designing and manufacturing the most capable land-based system in the world, as well as proven portable Hyperbaric Rescue Facilities (HRF) assets.
The company recently built a suite of assets including advanced, portable 18-man HRFs which offer offshore operators a practical rescue solution when working in remote areas, anywhere in the world.
In the event of an emergency evacuation, even once divers have reached the perceived relative safety of the surface via a hyperbaric lifeboat, they still need to undergo a thorough decompression process to safely return to sea level before being exposed to atmospheric pressure and suffer the potentially fatal effects of decompression sickness.
Although the preferred option may be to transfer saturation divers to a fixed HRF, often due to time constraints, and depending the location of the diver, this can be challenging. A portable HRF capability allows divers to safely begin the decompression process even if they are in a remote location.
JFD’s portable HRF systems are easily transportable and are designed to suit a variety of hyperbaric lifeboat and HRC configurations to maximise the likelihood of a successful rescue.
JFD has provided support to a number of North Sea diving contractors for many years through its fixed HRF system at its National Hyperbaric Centre in Aberdeen. The health and safety of divers must always be the primary concern for any operation, regardless of how or where it is carried out.
To protect the lives of divers it is paramount that there are emergency measures in place, supported by the necessary technical capabilities, and that this covers the entire rescue and evacuation process, from deep sea to the shore.
This means providing divers with advanced and reliable technical solutions that will allow them to return to safety at pressure and undergo a safe decompression process.
JFD is committed to enhancing the standard of subsea safety and is working closely with diving contractors to provide the industry with the most advanced rescue provision.
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