In this Issue:

NHC opens new office in Singapore

Upgrades made to Hyperbaric Reception Facility

Investment in PressureCycle Tester

‘Diving Experience’ nowincluded in Dive Familiarisation Course

News from National Hyperbaric Centre Issue 2 - 2014

NHC Training & Consulting services are now being delivered in Singapore, enhancing subsea safety worldwide

National Hyperbaric Centre has opened an office in Singapore to provide subsea-related Training, Consulting, Diving/ROV Technical support and senior industry personnel for specialist projects. The new facility is based in Loyang on Changi North Street.

David Smith, NHC Managing Director, said: “The new Centre will reinforce NHC's commitment to provide world class subsea training and services which will help to improve safety in the diving industry. Our commitment to Singapore has strategic significance, allowing us to deliver our services in a region that has recently lacked choice”.

NHC received a tremendous response following attendance at exhibitions and events in the Asia-Pacific area, giving encouragement that a local presence would enhance subsea safety within the region.

NHC has recruited Singapore-based Business Development Manager, Bernice Tan, who has been identifying key requirements of clients in the region.

NHC's highly-renowned OGP Client Representative Course and Dive System Auditing & Assurance Course are among the first courses NHC Training will deliver.

NHC's Consulting Department will also be developed to provide specialist consultancy services in the form of experienced Client Representatives, Auditors and Diving Technical and Operational Support to progress safe and efficient subsea operations.

For more information about National Hyperbaric Centre PTE LTD Singapore, please contact Bernice Tan at btan@nationalhyperbariccentre.com

National Hyperbaric Centre opens in Singapore

NHC GroupNational Hyperbaric Centre

Contacts

National Hyperbaric Centre, established in 1987, is an independent company providing expertise and services to Subsea and Pressure Related Industries.We offer a wide range of services including Diver and Subsea related Training, Hyperbaric Welding, Subsea Testing, Emergency Services and Consulting to customers worldwide.Welcome to our biannual newsletter; a summary of news and events from all our departments.

- +44 (0)1224 692222

123 Ashgrove Road West, Aberdeen, AB16 5FA SCOTLAND

- info@nationalhyperbariccentre.com - www.nationalhyperbariccentre.com

- +44 (0)1224 698895

NHC sponsor ‘Wild Dolphin’ project

something which benefits the local community and at the same time raises money for a fantastic cause.“ The dolphins will be on display until late August, before being auctioned in aid of Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and the ARCHIE Foundation at the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital.

NHC Testing Dept

NHC

host trials investigatingaccurate underwater cutting methods

NHC Testing has made a significant investment in a Pressure Cycle Tester to increase multiple cycle and long duration capabilities of its testing operations.

The new technology advances NHC Testing services, offering clients the ability to configure automated pressure cycles during the testing of equipment. This advancement allows precise control of parameters that are beyond the capability of manually operated systems. NHC believes the Pressure Cycle Tester will be of particular interest to clients looking to perform long-duration endurance cycle testing by reducing labour requirements and costs. The system is electro-mechanically operated and uses a solenoid to actuate the shut-off and release valves. The skid contains a pressure transmitter of 30,000psi to monitor outlet pressure. It can run on an infinite amount of cycles and is designed to cut out in the event of a controller failure. Cycles are configured and operated using our Yokogawa and new data acquisition system allowing for complete documentation and recording. This new function is of particular interest for companies looking to determine the functionality and durability of equipment such as

Dry trials were performed in NHC's outdoor yard where a purpose-built, fully-screened weld/cutting tent provided a safe workspace for the divers to practice before entering the water. NHC's large Dive Tank then provided the perfect underwater area for the trials to take place. The Dive Tank is complete with a 3-diver capability air diving control system, which allows live communication, full video-streaming and recording of each trial. NHC is dedicated to providing a flexible testing facility and will work alongside clients to accommodate a wide range of trials and testing operations.

tools, hydraulic torque tools, disc cutters and Broco cutting rigs.

Investment in Pressure Cycle Tester

Upcoming Events

IMCA Annual Seminar - LONDON - 18th - 20th Nov 2014

Offshore South East Asia - SINGAPORE - 2nd - 5th Dec 2014

Underwater Intervention - NEW ORLEANS - 10th - 12th Feb 2015

Subsea Expo - ABERDEEN - 11th - 13th Feb 2015

valves and hydraulic rams at varied depths. The NHC Testing team have extensive and specialised knowledge of pressure testing and are qualified to assist with the planning, organisation and completion of testing procedures.

The NHC Dive Tank and outdoor facilities were used by a client for in-depth trials investigating the effectiveness of underwater cutting methods on large subsea pipeline flanges.Trials were needed to identify the safest, most effective and cleanest method of cutting through solid metal bolts used on various subsea pipe flange installations and avoiding damage to the sealing flange faces. Equipment which operates for many years on the sea bed is exposed to harsh corrosive elements. Bolts are particularly susceptible to corrosion and fusion, producing limitations on methods of removal and repair after many years in service. Various removal and cutting methods were thoroughly trialled including hydraulic splitting

NHC Consulting department expansion

National Hyperbaric Centre has recently restructured its successful consulting department.

NHC has an established international consulting service providing clients with trained and highly-skilled personnel to support onshore and offshore operations. An increasing number of subsea contractors are utilising our client representatives to support their global operations and we are undertaking dive system audits across the world. Our Subsea Consulting Team ensure the correct specialist is selected for each client project on an individual basis. The decision is based on a

NHC Consulting Dept

NHC delivers Asia-Pacific Hyperbaric Lifeboat Reception seminar in Singapore

Our new NHC office in Singapore hosted a meeting of diving specialists to discuss the challenges faced running HRF's in the Far East region. The huge geographic area introduces a host of additional difficulties in providing an efficient and safe way of supporting and managing divers requiring decompression from a HLB.

The industry has made significant efforts to give divers an equal opportunity in the event of a marine evacuation endangering their lives, as requested under SOLAS and IMO. However, some oil companies and diving companies are still 'cavalier' in their approach arguing such an evacuation will “never happen”. Corporate manslaughter laws have been designed just for such irresponsible attitudes to mis-management.

IMCA and many OGP members have been working positively to create guidance and technical support in this area. The new IMCA-DO53 offers audit guidance for HRF's, as they are now installed in various worldwide locations.

The Singapore Workshop revealed specific challenges in the region, including:· The large number of HRF's required to cover operations in the region if maximum transfer time is used.· The problem of quayside logistics/suitability for an HRF including recovery by crane.

· Poor availability of competent staff to maintain and run an HRF in remote locations.· Transport issues for rapid mobilisation of life support staff to be part of the decompression plan available 24/7.· Low likelihood of neighbouring countries sharing HRF's due to political tensions and customs/immigration policies in emergency situations.· Clients willing to accept lowest bids for services irrespective of whether the diving company has an HRF supplied with the cost. Options to resolve the above issues were debated and the NHC hopes to use the information gathered to help develop services in the region.

After concerns regarding a number of incidents on dive sites around the globe, National Hyperbaric Centre realised that many commercial diving companies rarely have in place a formal contract for Diving Medical Support. This is mainly due to:

· A lack of awareness of a legal requirement to have adequate provision for such healthcare.· A belief that, in the event of an emergency, local Government owned emergency services will intervene, which is not always the case.

A number of client companies are now requesting that a Diving Contractor must provide 'written confirmation that arrangements have been made with a registered, approved medical practitioner for the provision of medical support for situations which are beyond the capabilities of the on-site diver medics.'

NHC Hyperbaric Lifeboat Reception Facility upgrade

For more information about any of our services, please visit www.nationalhyperbariccentre.com or contact 01224 698895

NHC Emergency Services

DiveDoctor has been developed by the NHC to provide a package that can help global diving companies ensure their diving operations have viable medical support procedures in place in the form of a 24 hour emergency telephone service. DiveDoctor can also audit Emergency Response Procedures, provide medical equipment and related training.

A number of contracts have recently been won around the world including contractors based in Turkey, Nigeria and Indonesia. It is intended that the new service will result in raising the standard of Diving Medical Support for commercial diving contractors worldwide. If you are interested in any of DiveDoctor's services, please contact Stuart Sloan at info@divedoctor.com or call +44(0)1224 698 895.

Real HLB trials are a must!

NHC has recently upgraded its Hyperbaric Reception Facility to ensure lifeboats can be accepted and mated efficiently.

NHC has over 25 years’ experience responding to diving medical emergencies as part of the rescue contingency for many North Sea diving vessels. A service to transport a Hyperbaric Lifeboat from any UK port to the NHC decompression system has been strategically planned to ensure divers are given the best chance of survival in the case of an evacuation.

On arrival at the NHC, the vessels (now mainly 10.5m in length and weighing around 16tonnes) are then lifted onto a platform to be mated with NHC’s saturation facility which is connected to a hospital medical chamber. Vessels must be lifted and secured smoothly and quickly, as from deployment, the HLB only has up to 72 hours of life support for up to 24 divers who will probably be in poor health.Recent changes have been made to the entrance and framework at the NHC which has made this strategic and specialised process much more efficient.

Three new-generation HLBs have recently been to the NHC for successful mating trials. Our clients were delighted with the changes which have been made to the system.

The knowledge gained from these trials proved to be imperative as so called ‘identical’ HLBs have tolerance issues which could easily result in a failure mating the vessel to any HRF, which would be detrimental to the divers. Adjustments are required depending on vessel design to cope with problems identified such as:- Centre of gravity which affects flange loading. - Variations in positioning of alignment pins which prevents siting the HLB in its expected position. - Flange heights can vary affecting flange alignment. - Sacrificial rings are required to assist with sealing, often requiring machining to achieve a proper seal. This is not an exhaustive list of the discrepancies found, but what has been proven is that laser measurements will not produce the accurate information required and cannot be used as a guarantee of sealing and mating success. Real HLB/HRF trials are a must!

For more information about our HRF facility and how we can help with your rescue procedures, contact Barry Porter on +44(0)1224 698 895 or email info@nationalhyperbariccentre.com

DiveDoctor secures contractsworldwide

DiveDoctor

Scheduled Training Courses:

Air Diving Supervisor (IMCA) 3rd - 7th Nov 2014 - Aberdeen

UK Courses...

Singapore Courses...

Dive System Auditing & Assurance

OGP Client Representative 13th - 17th Oct 2014 - Singapore

UAE Courses:

25th - 27th Nov 2014 - Aberdeen

RSA Courses:

For bookings & further information contact the training department on +44 (0) 1224 698 895 or email training@nationalhyperbariccentre.com

Dive System Auditing & Assurance 3rd - 5th Nov 2014 - Singapore

OGP Client Representative 14th - 18th Dec 2014 - Sharjah

Dive Technician 17th - 28th Nov 2014 - Cape Town

We have had excellent feedback from our second Dive System Auditing & Assurance course delivered by the NHC in Singapore.The 3-day course comprised theory and practical elements enabling delegates to develop their auditing knowledge and competency as per industry recommendations and IMCA guidelines.

The course was well received by a range of candidates including diving & construction managers, operations managers and dive technicians who were impressed with the course content and organisation. The DSAA course was developed by the National Hyperbaric Centre's highly experienced diving personnel and is successfully run in various locations throughout the world including Aberdeen, South Africa and Dubai. NHC is delighted to add Singapore to our list of training locations.

For NHC Training information, please email info@nhctraining.com.

NHC Training Dept

We are pleased to confirm that we can now offer candidates from our Dive Familiarisation course the opportunity to try a real dive.

The NHC Dive Familiarisation course is aimed at managers, engineers, technicians and other non-diving personnel who, during their work, are involved in subsea operations where the use of diving techniques are required. The 3-day course includes theory elements aimed at providing non-diving personnel with an understanding and appreciation of the principles of diving, diving techniques, equipment used in diving operations and the considerations of planning and executing a dive.

We have now added a third day to the course which is dedicated to a real dive. Candidates will be given the opportunity to enter our large Dive Tank fully kitted out with the latest diving equipment, providing they pass a medical examination. Members not wishing to dive will become members of the dive support team and assist our highly experienced dive supervisors, tenders and project managers. This hands-on and practical experience gives candidates a unique opportunity to learn and experience a realistic diving scenario.

Dive Familiarisation course now includes a diving experience in our dive tank

Auditing Course in Singapore