CASE STUDY
Simple Gamechanger Opens Doors to more Inclusive Offshore Workplace, Dan Greeves
The simplest innovation can impact most on solving ‘elephant in the room’ problems.
PWS’s invention of the first in-turbine tower toilet holds the key to changing the offshore workforce profile, while setting a minimum standard for the diverse range of workers offshore.
The design and manufacture of the in-turbine unit, that fits in the tower means Pegasus Welfare Solutions (PWS), part of OEG Offshore, will encourage new applicants, he believes.
Equivalent offshore welfare conditions to those onshore, for the price of a daily pint of milk, will make the industry more attractive and accessible with no one feeling excluded on gender grounds or because of health conditions, Dan said.
“Providing offshore toilets demolishes an unnecessary barrier to the workplace holding back a range of people for different reasons.
“We have produced a step change in the offshore culture. There was nothing there before and women and other people frequently cited it as a reason for not pursuing offshore careers.”
Until now, technicians answering the call of nature had to climb all the way down the turbine to transfer across to a support vessel to use its onboard facilities, then reboard the platform and climb back up to the top – an operation taking around 45 minutes, risking safety on climbs and transfers and taking valuable time from the working day. This was all despite developers agreeing to rules about offshore welfare in 2014 (RUK Guidelines 2014).
“Units are cost-neutral. We can’t afford not to do this if want a more diverse workforce offshore,” Dan said, whose first order was for Vattenfall’s Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm
Each unit comes with full sanitary dispenser and disposal and can be maintained in-house or by a service contract with UK-based PWS.