Equipment
Emergency Response and Rescue Vessel
Dedicated offshore emergency response and rescue support vessels.
Documents
- 2025Sep
1 - Big people in lifeboats and lifesaving appliances
Guidance for offshore dutyholders on accommodating increasing worker weight and size in evacuation and rescue arrangements. It explains statistical passenger design-weight calculations, capacity adjustments, seating and restraint suitability, and considerations for other lifesaving appliances and medical equipment. It also addresses verification, interim arrangements and safety-case changes.
- 202516 Apr
UK HSE: Risk of collision with offshore installations from attendant vessels
This safety flash summarises five vessel collisions with offshore installations and wind turbines reported in an HSE notice. Cases examine distracted watchkeeping, restricted visibility, dynamic positioning limitations and bridge communication. Recommendations address watchkeeping procedures, bridge resource management, alarm operation, attendant-vessel monitoring and consideration of sailing audits.
- 2025Mar
Risk of collision with offshore installations from attendant vessels
HSE safety notice examines five vessel collisions involving offshore installations and wind turbines. Cases highlight distracted watchkeeping, lost situational awareness, environmental conditions and poor bridge communication. Recommended reviews cover watchkeeping instructions, bridge resource management, navigational alarms and vessel monitoring, with consideration of sailing audits to identify operational bad practice.
- 2023May
Risk to offshore installation mooring lines outside 500m safety zone
This safety notice addresses trawling and navigation risks to floating offshore installation moorings beyond 500 m safety zones. It describes collisions and fishing-gear snagging despite warnings, and calls for clear information on mooring spreads and conditional snagging hazards, alongside review of collision risk management and emergency response arrangements.
- 202222 Mar
MSF: Contact between Vessel and Offshore Installation
A standby vessel struck an offshore installation after watchkeeping distractions and an accidental change to emergency steering prevented forward movement being arrested. The hull was dented but not holed. The flash discusses failure to follow existing procedures, switch functionality, lookout duties, passage planning and emergency scenario training.
- 201928 Oct
Marine Operations
HSE guidance supports offshore inspectors in assessing dutyholders’ marine operations and assigning compliance ratings. It covers vessel assurance, collision prevention, cargo transfer, rig moves, walk-to-work gangways and multi-role rescue vessels. Inspection criteria examine operational limits, risk assessments, certification and whether additional vessel duties compromise response and rescue capability.
- 2019Feb
Considerations for Walk to Work and Multi Operation Vessels – Regulatory Guidance
UK regulatory guidance for offshore oil and gas walk-to-work safety cases addresses vessel selection, installation collision resistance, station keeping and task-specific procedures. It examines gangway evacuation availability, contractor competence and combined rescue-vessel arrangements, requiring rescue and recovery capability to remain available throughout operations.
- 2001Apr
Collision between offshore supply and standby vessel Highland Pioneer and DA jack-up rig
Investigation of Highland Pioneer’s collision with the Douglas installation’s DA jack-up rig in Liverpool Bay. It examines unmonitored approach, mistaken belief that speed had reduced, lone watchkeeping and ambiguous traffic-monitoring responsibilities. Radar records establish approach speed; the report discusses possible fatigue and operators’ subsequent procedural changes.
- 1990Nov
The Public Inquiry into the Piper Alpha Disaster: Volume 1
Volume One of the public inquiry reconstructs the Piper Alpha disaster through witness testimony, experimental leak testing and explosion modelling. It attributes the initial condensate leak on a balance of probabilities to a non-leak-tight blind flange, and examines escalation, emergency systems, rescue, permit practices, management failures and regulatory inspections.
- Undated
Collision between offshore safety standby vessel Toisa Puffin and stern trawler LUC
MAIB’s synopsis examines a collision between the offshore standby vessel Toisa Puffin and LUC while trawling. Both sustained minor damage above the waterline, with no pollution. It attributes the collision to late detection of the collision course and identifies lookout, sound-signalling and avoiding-action shortcomings. No safety recommendations were issued.
- Undated
Collision between standby vessel Strilmøy and pair trawler Harvester resulting in Harvester sinking
Investigation synopsis of the collision between Harvester and Strilmøy in fog during pair trawling. Harvester sank after her crew abandoned ship and were recovered by Ocean Harvest. It describes radar indications, attempted radio communication and late avoiding action, and records a recommendation to reassess and comply with lookout and radar instructions.
- Undated
Saipem - Scarabeo 8 - Investigation of man-overboard incident
PSA investigates a subsea engineer’s fall through missing BOP carrier grating into the sea on Scarabeo 8. The report attributes displacement probably to heavy seas and examines inspection gaps, maintenance management, sheave stowage, access and communications. It assesses cold-water consequences, rescue arrangements and deficiencies in drills and personnel accounting.