Ørsted Names Seacat Safety Champion

Ørsted has given Seacat Services a Safety Champion award for safety standards set by its crews and operations personnel working at the 573MW Race Bank offshore wind farm located off the North Norfolk coast, UK.

The award, received at Ørsted’s Safety Through to Completion Forum, reflects Seacat Services’ approach in following its own ISM-approved safety management protocols, as well as regular engagement with the project management team to promptly address on-site safety concerns, Seacat Services said.

“At Ørsted, we never compromise on safety standards and Seacat Services has followed this example, handling all safety-related matters in an exemplary way. We have developed a strong, collaborative relationship with the team, working together to ensure safety on the Race Bank project. This means Seacat Services is a worthy ‘Safety Champion’,” said Jason Ledden, Construction Project Manager for Race Bank at Ørsted UK.

Seacat Services has been working to support construction and commissioning at Race Bank for 18 months, under the terms of a two-year, four-vessel charter signed in April 2016.

During this time, catamarans Seacat Courageous, Seacat Magic, Seacat Mischief and Seacat Volunteer safely completed more than 27,000 crew and equipment transfers, covering a total distance exceeding two trips around the globe, the company said.

“Safety is very much part of the ‘day job’ for us as we manage complex logistical charters, and keeping technicians safe and in good condition to work is always the top priority,” Ian Baylis, Managing Director at Seacat Services, said.

“It’s also great to see further proof that this is a priority shared by the team at Ørsted, who have certainly played their part in helping us maintain high standards of operation.”

Race Bank is considered to be one of Ørsted’s most complex to date due to its location at a challenging work site with strong currents, shallow waters, widely varied seabed soils and consistently strong winds.

The wind farm, being built out of the company’s construction base in the Grimsby Fish Docks, will comprise 91 Siemens 6MW turbines and is expected to be fully commissioned in 2018.