Recent, Ongoing and Planned R&D in Offshore and Helicopter Safety

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1 Recent, Ongoing and Planned R&D in Offshore and Helicopter Safety

2 Ocean Safety Research at MI Mission: To work with Industry and collaborators to identify and address gaps in knowledge related to maritime safety and emergency response Key Strength is the measurement and analysis of: Human performance Safety and emergency response equipment performance Interaction between humans and safety equipment, particularly in harsh environments

3 Ocean Safety Research Resources Unique array of human resources: PhD researchers (4+), Human Factors (MSc) & Professional Eng. Electronics technologists, Paramedics, Lifeguards Master Mariners, Offshore workers, Fire Fighters Relevant, up to date full scale, industry relevant training equipment and facilities for use in undertaking research: Indoor and outdoor test tanks Ocean going vessels FRCs, lifeboats and liferafts Immersion and flight suits, range of lifejacket styles Fire fighting equipment and mock ups Our research benefits from and augments training programs at MI Our research informs international regulations and standards

4 Ocean Safety Research Participation Regular participation in EASA HC ditching and survivability workshops Consultative role in CAA s implementation of EBS Active at IMO through Transport Canada ISO Committee developing standards for oil and gas operations in Arctic (ISO TC 67 SC8 WG2 ) CSA Mirror Committee to ISO TC 67 SC8 WG2 C NLOPB, CAPP and HOSC

5 Dedicated Research Facilities Fully immersive electronic helicopter passenger simulator: Motion Visuals Audio Four stroking seats Wide range of missions and scenarios Cold Human Immersion Lab (CHIL) 2.5m W x 4.5m L x 2m D circulating water tank housed inside a larger freezer Human and thermal manikin testing Independent water and air cooling systems Water temps as low as ~0 C Air temps as low as 20 C

6 Evacuation Research must address all three stages pointless to evacuate if you cannot survive until rescued! Survival Rescue

7 Recent R&D at MI Ocean Safety Research Dive Mask Phase I Thermal Protection in Liferafts / Lifeboats Rescue using FRC Rescue of Liferafts in Dacon Scoop Using simulation to examine medevac and medical procedures Ongoing activity PLB Performance HUEBA in HUET Performance Implications Skill retention in MED recurrent training Hand immersion in cold water and manual performance Future plans Overview

8 Recent Activity

9 Thermal Protection in Liferafts & Lifeboats Laboratory and field testing to determine: Most important heat loss mechanisms and rates for survival in liferafts and lifeboats Boundaries of cold stress for minimum required ventilation Can a thermal manikin be used for assessing in situ system thermal performance

10 Thermal Protection in LIFERAFTS Main findings: liferaft thermal protection criteria for 36 hour survival at different ambient conditions:

11 Thermal Protection in LIFEBOATS Add Engine Heat Add Thermal Protective Aid

12 Dive Mask Phase I Offshore helicopter service providers in Atlantic Canada have been supplying dive masks to helicopter passenger since the early 1990s Cougar S 92 safety briefing video Subsequently, MI incorporated the use of dive masks into the HUET and later the HUEBA training exercises Study aimed to understand impact of mask use on: Breath hold time (cold and warm water) Stress during training HUET egress time and Error rates during egress

13 Dive Mask Phase I Main findings: Breath hold times were same in warm water for mask/no mask (approx. 62 sec), however Breath hold times in cold water, no mask were almost half that for cold water, with mask (approx. 26 sec) Mask donning time in HUET was approx. 18 sec HUET gress time with/without mask not significantly different Error rate for egress from HUET was improved with dive mask use

14 Liferaft Recovery using a Dacon Scoop Can a loaded liferaft be safely recovered using the Dacon Scoop? Conditions: Mild to Moderate Main findings: Always possible to manoeuvre raft into the scoop Inflated liferaft floor improves heel when lifted Human factors analysis: conscious survivors should be able to maintain position during lift

15 Medevac and Helicopter Simulation Collaboration with Faculty of Medicine Examined use of helicopter and medical mannequin simulators for training medical professionals Results show this is a viable method for providing effective training

16 Ongoing Activity

17 Quantify FRC/SBV Rescue Performance Research carried out as part of ongoing annual performance verification trials: Full suite of data collection onboard FRC & SBV GPS (position & speed) Video Accelerations & roll rates Wind and sea conditions Quantifying each step of the launch, rescue and recover process Developing a model for predicting rescue performance

18 PLB Performance Measure detection performance for different: PLB types (121.5MHz, 406MHz, AIS) Detection systems Sea conditions (calm baseline & rough) Develop guidance document for industry on expected performance in a range of conditions Baseline trials completed Rough weather trials to commence November, 2016 Funded by PRNL and RDC

19 Skill Acquisition and Retention: HUEBA in HUET Research led by Dr. Elizabeth Sanli and Dr. Heather Carnahan (Internal MI funding, NSERC and Memorial University s Seed, Bridge and Multidisciplinary Fund) Objective: To determine the impact of emergency breathing systems in HUET on the performance of a standard escape sequence Project will provide data that can be used to improve industry training standards Expected completion Fall 2017

20 Cold Water Hand Immersion and Manual Performance Research led by Dr. Matthew Ray and Dr. Heather Carnahan (Internal MI funding and NSERC) Objective: To determine the effect of hand immersion in cold water on manual performance and tactile sensitivity Project will provide an understanding of how performance decrement (due to cold water immersion) can be improved for survival situations through design (PPE but also equipment/tools required). Expected completion in Summer 2017

21 Future Plans and Summary

22 Changes at MI Ocean Safety Research Increased human resource for carrying out human focussed research Recent upgrades to facilities and equipment in Foxtrap and Ridge Rd. Development of School of Ocean Safety at MI, including: Establishing undergraduate and graduate programs alongside industrial training programs Masters & PhD students and Post Doctoral researchers within SOS Cross appointment between MI and MUN faculties (e.g. kinesiology, medicine, engineering) Development of research chairs (industrial and government) within SOS

23 Dive Mask, Phase II: Effect of dive mask on HUEBA use in cold water Impact of dive mask on suit system and optimal design requirements Impact on egress success for trainees using a mask Side Floating/Air Gap: Future Research Egress and training issues that must be considered before implementing Medical/SAR crew preparedness in offshore helicopter rescue Best brace position for ditching? Most likely liferaft position for a floating S92 helicopter? Dedicated Program of R&D in Helicopter and Offshore Safety?

24 Summary MI Ocean Safety Research has been active in emergency response (evacuation, survival and rescue) R&D for over a decade Recent and ongoing research seeks to improve safety in the offshore and maritime sectors New developments within the Unit have increased our ability to be effective and carry out projects that can help Industry Future plans include the development of a focussed program of research in helicopter and offshore safety with a broad collaborative team of experts We welcome and encourage your input as the school grows

25 Thank-you! For further info, contact: (w) (c) For further info, contact: x255