RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN OFFSHORE RIG PLATFORM EVACUATION

During severe storms, evacuation systems for offshore rigs and platfor ms currently in use have proven themselves to be inadequate. Typically , during deployment of a lifeboat, it is often damaged to the point of not being seaworthy before it reaches the ocean surface. This is espe cially the case for cable-launched boats where a pendulum-like motion of the craft on its cables is often set up. It is less of a problem fo r free-fall lifeboats. Even when a craft reaches the ocean surface int act, high winds and waves can drive it back against the rig/platform s tructure. This paper describes the state-of-the-art of evacuation. It focuses on two new systems being developed by the authors in Newfoundl and, Canada.