Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK – Survitec is supplying its Virustatic Shield anti-viral snood to UK offshore personnel, following calls for better protection for staff during helicopter transfer to and from offshore installations.
Conventional surgical masks are said to be unsuitable for helicopter passengers due to the risk of foreign object debris, should rotor downdraught tear the mask from the wearer’s face. There is also a risk of masks interfering with other PPE equipment.
Oil & Gas UK (OGUK) has been working with Survitec on the use of a snood-type face covering for the UK’s offshore workforce through its Pandemic Steering Group.
The snood has been developed to limit pathogenic microbial intake into the human respiratory system. Its fabric incorporates an anti-viral coating, laboratory tested to neutralize 96% of airborne viruses (according to Survitec) and reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
OGUK HSE Director Trevor Stapleton, said: “All workers travelling offshore will be issued with a protective snood following their routine temperature check at the heliport.
“The snood will then be worn in the heliport and for the duration of travel both to and from the installation only. They are single use and personnel will be issued with a new snood for each trip offshore.”
Survitec will supply helicopter operators directly and will include snoods at the same time as issuing crew and passenger lifejackets and immersion suits.
A spokesman said the company’s heliport teams will issue instructions to passengers on how to correctly put on the snood during pre-flight safety briefings. In addition, the company will supply waste cans at the heliport for disposal after use.
Survitec has procured more than 25,000 snoods to cover a six-week supply to offshore operators and heliports, and hopes to ramp up its inventory further to cover growing global market demand.
04/27/2020
