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Mimir Marine Ltd has experience in the design, build and physiological testing, of Hyperbaric Evacuation System and Hyperbaric Reception Facilities.

Over 30 years ago Shell Exploration and Production, developed a requirement for saturation divers to be able to safely evacuate from a diving system on a ship, barge or other platform. Classification Society have incorporated this requirement into their rules.

There are two principal Hyperbaric Evacuation Systems (HES): Self Propel Hyperbaric Life Boats (SPHLB) and Hyperbaric Rescue Chambers (HRC).

Contrary to some beliefs, both systems are acceptable to all (IACS) members, for example DNV, Lloyds Register and the American Bureau of Shipping.

HRCs and SPHLB are also both recognised and accepted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in accordance with their "Code of Safety for Diving System Resolution, and Resolution A.831 (19)", specifically the "Guides and Specification for Hyperbaric Evacuation Systems, A692 (17)."

The IMO requirement for a Hyperbaric Evacuation System is enshrined in maritime law. Contactors should read this as "no HES, no Diving"

Rules and Regulations

SOLAS 1974

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea

IMO Resolution A.831(19)

Code of Safety for Diving Systems 1995

IMO Resolution A.692(17)

Guidelines and Specification for Hyperbaric Evacuation Systems, 1991

Evacuation is however, only the fist stage of an emergency plan. In 1985 the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) safety notice 6/85 required operators to have "rescue plans" to "transfer divers to a decompression chamber facility".

A development in recent years has seen other Government States and International Petrochemical and Service companies developing rules and guidelines requiring emergency and rescue plans to account for the recover of the Hyperbaric Evacuation System to a Hyperbaric Reception Facility, so as to re-establish an appropriate level of control of the divers environment.

It is widely accepted that with so called Life Support Packs (LSP) or fly away containers, it is unrealistic to "plan" to keep 9 to 18 + men in a HRC or hyperbaric life boat for the full duration of a saturation decompression.

Hyperbaric Reception Facilities (HRF) are a legal requirement in Australia, Norway the UK and are a corporate requirement of several of the worlds largest petrochemical companions, in recent years they have gained global recognition as forming a crucial part of any "emergency or rescue plan".

Mimir Marine Ltd have designed, built and commissioned a 15 man HRF with all associated life support machinery. This was designed to accept a bottom matting SPHLB and a side mating HRC. We can help from design philosophy, through to system build, contingency plans and emergency instruction bespoke to your geographic operational location.

For information on "The Evaluation and Testing of the Hyperbaric Environmental Control of Hyperbaric Evacuation Systems", January 2006. see (www.imca-int.com)

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