the world's first sovs set sail - esvagt · the report from the norwegian petroleum ......

BRAVO ZULU, "ESVAGT AURORA"…! // SOVS OFF TO A GOOD START // "ESVAGT FROUDE" READY FOR SERVICE

"ESVAGT KAPPA" ON EXERCISE WITH THE DANISH NAVY FROGMAN CORPS // C TYPE VESSELS SAVE ON FUEL // ENTIRE NEW PREMISES READY

02 / 2015

NEWS

THE "ESVAGT FROUDE" AND "ESVAGT FARADAY" MARK

ESVAGT'S DEDICATION TO OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY

THE WORLD'S FIRST SOVS

SET SAIL

V

INDHOLD

3 Editorial

4 Bravo Zulu, "Esvagt Aurora"…!

5 "We've got you!"

6 SOVs off to a good start

7 Low fuel consumption on SOVs

8 "Esvagt Froude" ready for service

9 Who were William Froude and Michael Faraday?

10 "Esvagt Kappa" on exercise with the Danish Navy Frogman Corps

12 C type vessels save on fuel

13 New paint inhibits fouling

14 Whole new premises ready

16 Workshop gets a lift

17 Logistics centre taken into service

18 New contracts

20 "Esvagt Preventer" turns back time

22 "You feel appreciated!"

23 Crew pleased with upgrade

24 New fleet-wide dialogue network for ESVAGT sailors

26 Well-attended open vessel arrangement

27 New management system strengthens ownership

28 Can bead arranging be a sign of occupational injury?

Text Pressekompagniet Photos (unless otherwise credited) ESVAGT

Layout AD Libitum – grafisk bureauEdited by Ole Ditlev Nielsen and Lise Bjerning Terp

ESVAGT NEWS 02/20152

– SAFETY AND SUPPORT AT SEA

V The summer is almost upon us but the economic barometer in the offshore branch unfortu-nately shows low pressure. Compared to previous years, 2015 will be somewhat different. The oil price is low and that has resulted in a lower level of activity compared to 2013 and 2014. The industry is now focussing on reducing costs. This is also true for ESVAGT. We need to be even more careful with every penny we spend. Luckily, this comes quite naturally to us and we will soon adjust to the new market conditions.

Unfortunately, we had a Lost Time Incident (LTI) on the 6th of April 2015. A crew member pulled his back during a service check when he bent down to go under the middle beam on a Fast Rescue Boat. That ended our 759 days in a row without an LTI, which was still a notably good record. Here at ESVAGT we have an honest and open incident reporting culture. We detect issues as they arise, giving us the opportunity to share learnings with each other. This is a vital factor in achieving the safety results that we continue to see.

2015 started with the delivery of two new Service Operation Vessels (SOV), the "Esvagt Froude" and the "Esvagt Farada", that have been specially developed to service offshore wind farms. Not only are they new vessel types for ESVAGT, they are actually the first of their type – a world's first! Many new and revolutionary solutions have been built into these vessels. At the same time, they are completely new for both for the customer (Siemens Wind Power) and for us. One could therefore expect a number of teething problems - there have been a couple but overall these new vessel types have come off to a really good start.. This is not least due to the commitment shown by the crew, ensuring that we have been able to live up to our customers' expectations from day 1.

That leads me quite naturally on to the "ESVAGT Standard", whose headlines are Safety, Quality, Craftsmanship & Dedication, Constant Constructive Dissatisfaction as well as Customer Focus & Flexibility. The ESVAGT Standard has been defined by employees as what makes ESVAGT unique. Customers that we have worked with for a long time take it for granted that we always deliver according to our "ESVAGT Standard". We cannot ever take that for granted – and we do not!

The initiation of the SOV vessels is a good illustration of what the "ESVAGT Standard" means: With the new service concept, we extend our safety culture. We deliver high quality from the very first day. Everyone who has been involved both on board the vessel and on land has shown unsurpassed commitment and dedication. Through our Constant Constructive Dissatisfaction, we discovered some quite unique solutions that have resulted in an excep-tionally fuel-economic vessel. Finally, the crew worked together with the customer in the best possible way and demonstrated how effectively many assignments can be performed.

That is exactly what the "ESVAGT Standard" is; what makes ESVAGT unique; and that is essen-tial for ensuring that we win new – and more – contracts. Thank you.

Søren Nørgaard Thomsen

SØREN NØRGAARD THOMSEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR

Søren Nørgaard Thomsen, Managing Director

WHAT MAKES ESVAGT UNIQUE

ESVAGT NEWS 02/2015 3

EDITORIAL

PROMPT ACTION FROM ESVAGT'S STAND BY VESSEL "ESVAGT AURORA" SAVED A SCOTTISH ENGINEERS' LIVE FROM THE BARENTS SEA

A 40-year old Scottish engineer from the semi-submersible rig, the Scarabeo 8, work-ing for ENI Norge in the Goliat sector can thank his lucky stars – and ESVAGT – that he is still alive. Early in the morning of the 20th of February 2015, the engineer fell through a hole in the gangway on the rig and landed 13 metres below in the cold, dark Barents Sea. A colleague saw the incident and raised the man-overboard alarm. The alarm sum-moned the "Esvagt Aurora", which was on standby about a kilometre away from the rig. The "Esvagt Aurora" received the report at 4:11 a.m., launched its high-speed rescue

boat into the water at 4:13 a.m. and rescued the man from the water at 4:17 a.m.Three minutes later, he was brought on board the "Esvagt Aurora" and received initial treatment in the vessel's hospital. By then his body temperature was very low. At 6:25 a.m., he was flown by helicopter to the hospital in Hammerfest and was discharged again two days later.The report from the Norwegian petroleum supervisory authority (Norsk Petroleums-tilsyn) on the incident describes that even a marginal change in circumstances could have cost the engineer his life. ENI Norge has expressed its thanks to the shipping company and the crew of the "Esvagt Au-rora" for an "extraordinary and remarkable operation"."We are proud to have made a difference," says Ole Ditlev Nielsen, Chief Commercial & Safety Officer for ESVAGT.

"We are especially proud of the crew on board, who reacted entirely optimally and achieved an outstanding result under difficult conditions. This is the result of procedures, best practise – and many, many hours of training," he explains. "As part of their training, the crew had inspected the accessibility under the rig, which can be a real challenge in the dark or in bad weather conditions." Since 1981, ESVAGT has assisted with 45 rescue operations and saved 128 people.

BRAVO ZULU, "ESVAGT AURORA"…!

FACTS

Bravo Zulu is a naval signal, typically conveyed

by flaghoist or voice radio, meaning "Well

Done"


RESCUE MISSION

A hole in the rig's walkway meant a free fall of 13 metres for a Scottish engineer. Photo: Petroleumstilsynet

The incident was re-enacted the following day in daylight. Here, the FRB is on its way under the rig.

Kaj Emanuel Kristensen was boatmaster on the Fast Rescue Boat that saved the 40-year-old man from the water. Valentin Markussen was ordinary ship's assistant on the boat and Ivan Nørskov was the experienced AB. THIS IS HOW IT FELT FOR THEM:KAJ:"As soon as the alarm sounded, we hurried into our suits. All we know is that there is a man in the moon pool. (The moon pool is the name for the water directly beneath the rig, ed.) We quickly sail to the rig, where we find him. He is holding onto a lifebuoy and looks pale and completely stiff". VALENTIN:"Kaj manoeuvres the boat on to the starboard side. I crawl out to the bow of the boat and grab hold of the collar of the man in the water. Ivan and I pull the man up. He is extremely cold because he is only wearing his boiler suit. Ivan holds the man close into his body to warm him and to support him, and he lies on Ivan during the journey back to the vessel". KAJ:"The man is conscious and says "thank you" to which Ivan replies "take it easy - we've got you". When we get back to the vessel and raise the boat up, colleagues are ready with a spine board. We put him onto the spine board and take him into the hospital on board. Everything goes according to plan. Then we go up to the master, who tells us that the helicopter has been called for – so we get ready to meet it". VALENTIN:"The feeling afterwards is just fantastic. We have saved a life! I was so happy. All the training that we have been through really works. I will never complain about training! And I can remember that the next time I signed in on board, I said to my colleagues: Well lads, shall we go out and make a difference? I am still immensely happy about the experience and when I open the wallet that I received from the shipping company and see the inscription and date, I feel a great sense of pride". KAJ:"We knew that he had been very lucky to survive and that we had done a good job. It was lucky for him, for us, for the customer – and for ESVAGT, which proved how important it is that we are there and that we work in the way that we do.The best part of it all was when we received a letter from him a while after the rescue. He wrote that it was not just his life that we had saved, it was also his wife and children's. I was very touched to read that".

"WE'VE GOT YOU!"


RESCUE MISSION

Kaj Emanuel Kristensen and Valentin Markussen.

RESCUE MISSION

THE SOVS, THE "ESVAGT FROUDE" AND THE "ESVAGT FARADAY" ARE WELL UNDERWAY WITH OFFSHORE WIND FARM DUTIES.

ESVAGT's latest new builds, the SOVs " Esvagt Froude"and "Esvagt Faraday", are not just new vessels, they are also a com-pletely new concept in servicing offshore wind farms and mark a new approach to jobs within new markets.

The vessels will service offshore wind farms and although these farms are not yet operational, both the "Esvagt Froude" and "Esvagt Faraday" are well underway gaining their first working experiences.The "Esvagt Froude" was due to work on the Baltic II in the Baltic Sea for Siemens Wind Power. However, as the farm was not yet finished when the vessel was delivered, the "Esvagt Froude" has been working on another assignment at Westermost Rough; a farm under construction off the coast of Grimsby in the English sector.

"Many of the assignments at Westermost Rough are similar to those we will be work-ing on for Baltic II," says Ib Hansen, Head of Commercial for ESVAGT: "The farm is under construction and we have been busy from day one. It has been really good to practise transferring turbine technicians from ship to WTG with both the "Walk-to-Work" gangway system and the Safe Transfer Boats we have on board, the ESVAGT STB 7B and the ESVAGT STB 12A. We have not yet had the opportunity to test transfer methods in very harsh weather

SOVS OFF TO A GOOD START

"WITH BOTH VESSELS, WE HAVE HAD TO ACQUAINT OUR-SELVES WITH NEW VESSELS IN NEW MARKETS WITH NEW CUSTOMERS ON BOARD – AND TO BEING ASSIGNED TO DIFFERENT CHARTERS THAN THOSE ORIGINALLY PLANNED. WE ARE THEREFORE PARTICULARLY PLEASED THAT BOTH VESSELS ARE PERFORMING AS EXPECTED AND THAT THE CUSTOMER HAS PRAISED THE CREW FOR THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE".

Ib Hansen, Head of Commercial


SOV

but we have already gained good initial experience in working in heavy winds," he says.

PRAISE DUE TO THE CREWThe "Esvagt Faraday" should have started working for the offshore wind farm, Buten diek off the coast of Sild but here too the vessel was ready before the farm. The "Esvagt Faraday" has therefore been as-signed to the Borkum Riffgrund in the Ger-man sector of the North Sea where another offshore wind farm is under construction.

This has also given valuable experience in both transfers and cooperation with the customer. With up to 40 technicians living on board the vessel, ESVAGT has shown that it can be a good host and have its customer close by."Our crew needs to have a different mind-set when the customer is on board with them. They need to cooperate closely – as we do here. The feedback from our customer has been positive: They have praised us for both our operational level and for their stay on board. We are especially pleased that the

crew's skills, professionalism and dedication to their work have been recognised," says Ib Hansen.

SOVS OFF TO A GOOD START

Although both the "Esvagt Froude" and the "Esvagt Faraday" have been painted in the familiar orange-red ESVAGT col-our, their design is entirely green. The goal is low fuel consumption.The vessels are equipped with Siemens Blue Drive Plus system; an innovative and fuel-saving DC direct current system. With Siemens Blue Drive Plus system, the rotation speed of the ves-sel's diesel return current/power varies according to load instead of running at a constant revolution speed, which reduces fuel consumption. "Our expectations of low fuel con-sumption have so far been met to the full," says Kristian Ole Jakobsen, Chief Operating Officer at ESVAGT.Our environmental approach has been extended beyond the direct current system. The hull has been energy op-

timised to such a degree that we have installed LED lights, propulsion units with counter-rotating propellers, con-trol of all thrusters and larger consum-ers with current converters, recycling of waste heat from the diesel engines for heating in the accommodation areas – and more. The feedback we have received from the vessels tells us that these systems are working optimally. Another expected benefit in choos-ing the direct current system was the reduction in noise and vibration in the vessel – expectations that have been fulfilled."The vessel is very comfortable and the noise and vibration levels from the vessel's diesel engine system are significantly lower," says Kristian Ole Jakobsen.

LOW FUEL CONSUMPTION ON SOVSENVIRONMENTAL OPTIMISATION OF SOVS ACHIEVES THE DESIRED EFFECT.

FACTS

The "Esvagt Froude" has been chartered

in for Siemens Wind Power for five years

with an option for a further five years. The

"Esvagt Faraday" has been chartered for ten

years with an option for a further five years.


SOV

ESVAGT'S TWO NEW SOVS ARE NOW IN OPERATION. EXPERIENCED CREW CHOSEN TO ESTABLISH WORKING PROCEDURES ON A COMPLETELY NEW VESSEL IN A MARKET THAT IS ALMOST AS NEW. The vessel is a new one and for most of the crew, this is the first time they have worked together. The boats on board are the newly devel-oped Safe Transfer Boats, ESVAGT STB, and much of the equipment on board is com-pletely new in the ESVAGT context. The offshore wind industry is becoming more familiar but largely speaking, expe-rience is something gained rather than something you bring with you.This means that the crew of the "Esvagt Froude" have plenty to do. "It is learning by doing in many ways," says Vidar Nielsen, master.

These words ring very true. Apart from the fact that the "Esvagt Froude" is a new vessel, it has also performed different tasks to the ones originally planned for it. The "Esvagt Froude" was built to service the "Baltic II" in the Baltic but because the park was not ready when the vessel was deliv-

ered, the "Esvagt Froude" has debuted with a three month charter for the "Westermost Rough", which is a wind farm being built in the English sector. "It has been a busy start up with a number of ad hoc duties and short term planning. Assignments for wind farms still under


LEDER

"ESVAGT FROUDE" READY FOR SERVICE

SOV

construction can be harder to predict than for those already in service so we have had plenty of chance to test a great deal during those three months," says Vidar Nielsen.

MANY TRANSFERSOver the three months, the "Esvagt Froude" has had approximately 800 Crew Transfer Vessel transfers and a large number of transfers using the new "Walk-to-Work" gangway system from Ampelmann. "We have had ample opportunity to train transfers and landings. We have transferred about 1,000 people, so we have had plenty to do," says Vidar Nielsen.The work has proven that the "Esvagt Froude" is optimal for this type of task."We can already say that the vessel is fan-tastic at doing the work it was designed for. Our vision of the Walk-to-Work gangway is perfect and everything functions and is well organised. Dialogue between the crew and the designers has been good and we really feel that the technicians have listened to our needs and created a fantastic workplace. Good solutions can be seen everywhere and I cannot see that anything could be improved upon ahead of the tasks that await us," says Vidar Nielsen.

SHARED CREWOn top of the many tasks involved with hav-ing a new ship, the crew and master have

the added detail that all this experience learning will take place in front of a live audience. The "Esvagt Froude" will always have its customers on board."This is part of the job that we have been excited about and look forward to," says Vidar Nielsen:"Up to now, all our experiences have been positive. Experience so far has been that close dialogue with the customer is advan-tageous for our daily work. Siemens has an on-site manager with whom we work very

closely – and this cooperation has been flexible and trusting from day one," he says.Here too, the layout of the vessel gives a major advantage. There are shared facilities in the form of lounges and mess areas and that bring the crew and technicians together as one team:"Relations are strengthened by being together. We feel that we are part of a com-mon crew with different activities, and that relationship will only get stronger as time goes by," says Vidar Nielsen.


SOV

The names of the two ESVAGT vessels were decided through an internal competition amongst Siemens employees. Benjamin Bartzen won with his "Esvagt Faraday" and Rene Wigmans for his "Esvagt Froude".

ESVAGT's two SOVs have been named after two of English industrial history's notable personalities. Both men also had a connec-tion with the Siemens brothers.

William Froude (1810-1879) was a British engineer, naval architect and friend to

the Siemens brothers. Froude designed the ship, the "CS Faraday", together with William Siemens in the 1870's; a vessel that laid around 50,000 sea miles of cables for the Siemens brothers – including several trans-Atlantic cables – over the following 50 years. William Froude's methods for optimising ship hulls for the lowest possible water resistance are still used today.

Froude is pronounced /fru:d/ with a long "oo" like in "food".

Michael Faraday (1791-1867) was a British physicist and chemist known for his discoveries in electro magnetism. Building on from discoveries on electro magnetism made by the Dane, H. C. Ørsted, he created an electric generator that generated power using a magnet. Faraday's research meant it seemed entirely natural that the specially constructed cable vessels that William Siemens designed together with William Froude came to bear his name.

WHO WERE WILLIAM FROUDE AND MICHAEL FARADAY?

THE ELITE SOLDIERS OF THE DANISH NAVY FROGMAN CORPS HAVE BEEN TRAINING ON INSTALLATIONS IN THE NORTH SEA. THE "ESVAGT KAPPA" PLAYED ITS PART WITH A FAST RESCUE BOAT AND AS HOST.

It takes a great deal to impress a sailor but Jan Ole Johansen, boatmaster and sailor on board the "Esvagt Kappa", was impressed by what he saw during the five days he worked closely with the Danish Navy Frogman Corps.

The elite soldiers in the corps trained their maritime skills during week 13 (at the end of March and beginning of April) in the North Sea on board the offshore instal-lations, the "Mærsk Resolve" and DONG Energy's "Hejre" plat-form.They practised tactical manoeuvres and boarding, and for Jan Ole Johansen it sometimes felt like he was an extra on a James Bond film set:"They could do so many things; I was really impressed. They were dropped off on a dark evening 500 metres from the

platform equipped only with a compass. Then they appeared from the water exactly where they were supposed to. They also used boarding hooks that they shot into

the air with compressed air and crawled up. They were just really tough guys," says Jan Ole Johansen.

PROFESSIONAL TEAMWORKThe Frogman Corps' five days

of training 250km out in the North Sea was made possible by the support and servicing of DONG Energy, Maersk Oil and ESVAGT. The Frogman Corps subsequently praised this cooperation:

"IT IS GREAT TO WORK WITH CIVILIANS – THEY ARE SO UN-SQUARE!"

PJ, diver master in the Danish Navy Frogman Corps


"ESVAGT KAPPA" ON EXERCISE WITH THE DANISH NAVY FROGMAN CORPS

"Much of the exercise took place in the sea around the platform, which meant that we needed a rescue boat that could be launched to rescue frogmen at short notice and with great precision in case of emer-gency. One of the challenges was therefore to conjure an Emergency Response & Rescue Vessel (ERRV) with a skilled crew out of a hat in the middle of the North Sea. Luckily, the "Esvagt Kappa" was there throughout the entire operation," says PJ, diving master in the Danish Navy Frogman Corps.Two frogmen were on board the "Esvagt Kappa" for four days and the Frogman

Corps had plenty of praise for the crew of the "Esvagt Kappa":"They were working on another, primary job but showed great flexibility and gave us excel-lent service, which was crucial support for the training of the Frogmen. It was highly profes-sional teamwork," compliments PJ, who also praised both equipment and seamanship:"ESVAGT"s vessels are excellent and you can really sense that the boatmasters know how to manoeuvre a FRB. We are pretty sure we know the difference between a good boat-master and a bad boatmaster – and the ones on board the "Esvagt Kappa"s were highly skilled at sailing," he says.

Photos: The Danish Frogman Corps


WITH AN EXTRA, SMALL DIESEL GENERATOR, C TYPE VESSELS CAN SAVE UP TO 25% ON FUEL CONSUMPTION.

ESVAGT's 16 C type vessels, which constitute the largest group of vessels in the fleet, has achieved good savings on fuel consumption by adding an extra diesel generator. Based on experienced gained on the first ten C type vessels, the shipping company

decided that new build number eleven would have an extra, small diesel genera-tor that could optimise the vessel's power system by distributing the total power more effectively, thereby reducing the fuel con-sumption per kWh. "We have supplemented the five 455kW diesel generators, which are standard for the vessel class, with a sixth generator that is about half the size," says Kristian Ole Jakobsen, Chief Operating Officer at ESVAGT:

"When the navigator knows how to make use of the possibilities the sixth diesel motor can give, he can reduce the fuel consump-tion by between 10 and 15 percent," he says.

LEARNING TO USE ITTo achieve the up to 25% saving, you need to know how to optimise the use of the extra generator. ESVAGT has therefore installed a fuel meter on the C type vessels that shows the actual fuel consumption. The navigator

C TYPE VESSELS SAVE ON FUEL


SAVING FUEL

can then regulate the speed and better use the resources in the machines:"Many would recognise the system from their cars where a green or red lamp indicates that it is time to change gear or to accelerate more slowly. In the same way, the fuel meter that we have installed on all vessels allows personnel to see that it really makes a difference if they open full throttle," says Kristian Ole Jakobsen.The fuel meter has actually started a com-petition amongst the crew: "On the journeys back from the shipyard in Singapore, the day and night teams com-peted to see who used least fuel on their watch. It is a good way to remind ourselves that we should run the vessel as we do our own house. At home, we remember to turn off the lights and turn down the heating before we air the room. That mind set is a good one to have at work too," says Kristian Ole Jakobsen.Running lighting, water and some thrust from the sixth, smaller diesel generator makes good sense on standby vessels where the load is low, says Kristian Ole Jakobsen:"Delivering the 200-250 kW needed from one of the "large" diesel generators requires a relatively high fuel consumption. By using the smaller, sixth diesel generator, we can save a good deal of fuel", says Kristian Ole Jakobsen.

ESVAGT HAS ALSO REDUCED FUEL CONSUMPTION BY CHANGING TO ANOTHER TYPE OF PAINT ON VESSEL HULLS.

ESVAGT's vessels often lay relatively still in the same place for a long time. This gives excellent growth opportu-nity for mussels and anything else that likes to grow on the underside of a vessel. Fouling is not only ugly, it also increases water resistance and costs fuel – and needs to be minimised as

much as possible. ESVAGT has there-fore changed the type of paint used on the underside of its vessels to a type that effectively prevents growth. "It was important for us to find a paint that prevents fouling without having a negative effect on the environment in terms of toxins," says Kristian Ole Jakobsen, Chief Operating Officer at ESVAGT:"We have found a type of paint that does the job. Now when we pull the vessels up, they have almost no fouling on them at all. That also has a positive impact on fuel consumption," he says.

NEW PAINT INHIBITS FOULING

Vessel with traditional paint – and fouling

New type of eco-friendly paint effectively inhibits fouling


SAVING FUEL

Barely a year after ESVAGT opened its newly built premises on Dokvej 4, the newly refitted and optimised buildings that house logistics and the workshop are also complete. All land based activities are now centred at one address.

WHOLE NEW PREMISES READY

3

4


WHOLE NEW PREMISES READY

2

5

6

1

TAKE A DRONE FLIGHT IN ESVAGT'S

NEW PREMISES


FACTS

ESVAGT was established in 1981 at the address, Kølen 1. Administration was moved

out to D. Lauritzensvej 8 in 1983, to 1 Havnegade 62 in 1986 and again in 1993 to

2 Adgangsvejen 1, the old seamen’s home.

3 The new administration building was taken into service in August 2014. 4 The

new logistics centre offers storage for 600 pallet square metres. 5 New crew facilities

join sea and land closer together. 6 The 1,400 square metre workshop has specially

fitted rooms, including rooms for motor testing, suit service, gluing and welding.

Not many mechanics have a 180 degree sea view from their workshop. They do at ESVAGT. The new workshop on Nordre Dokkaj 7 is nearing completion and apart from offering a fantastic view, the large new workshop has a wealth of plusses."We are going from 500 square metres to 1,400 square metres; from several locations around the town to one combined location. It is an upgrade on all fronts and we are really looking forward to taking it into ser-

vice," says Søren Westphal, Service Manager at ESVAGT.The workshop offers all the facilities imaginable for servicing boats and survival suits, which are its primary functions. For example, there is a separate room for gluing and for welding, sound proofed rooms for testing engines in water, suit rooms with special ventilation and a ten ton crane can be accessed throughout the entire workshop. The workshop now also facilitates the servicing of not just ESVAGT FRB and ESVAGT STB boats but also the large daughter crafts. ESVAGTs water mist fire fighting system will also be installed in the boat preparation room so that it can be demonstrated to customers."We have created work processes that are optimised for all the tasks that we perform. We have room to work on several boats at once and room to store a large number of spare parts. That means that we can optimise our work processes and offer even better service to our vessels and our seamen," says Søren Westphal.

LOGISTICS ARE A PLUSBy bringing all our activities to one address, as ESVAGT is now doing, the workshop will work better with the other parts of the shipping company. "We previously spent a great deal of time on internal transportation, which we will no longer do – transportation when holding meetings at the office and when the office needed to look at something in the ware-house. It is now easier for everyone and that will give us good synergy," says Søren Westphal:"Having the same address and building with the same style will also bring us closer together. The workshop, logistics and offices have been given the same visual identity and right in the middle, there will be a crew centre. All our vessels are also right outside. The closeness and fellowship that will be between sea, workshop, logis-tics and office in our everyday lives will be a significant bonus. We will all feel – even more than we do now - that we are part of the same company," says Søren Westphal.

WORKSHOP GETS A LIFT

The picture from the suit workshop was taken during unpacking.

ESVAGT'S WORKSHOP IS BEING OPTIMISED TO IMPROVE OPERATIONS, LOGISTICS, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT – AND TO PRIME IT FOR CONTINUED GROWTH.


WORKSHOP AND LOGISTICS WORKSHOP AND LOGISTICS

WORKSHOP GETS A LIFT

ESVAGT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY UPGRADED ITS WAREHOUSE AND LOGISTICS FACILITIES.

"We now have much more space and can make our layout much better."These is how Carsten Larsen, Supply Chain Manager for ESVAGT, talks about the approximately 600 loading metres of warehouse and logistics facilities on Vestre Dokkaj 1 that the shipping com-pany has acquired and recently fitted out. The upgrade has doubled the amount of room for pallets and that is space that is dearly needed:"ESVAGT has experienced enormous growth and this could really be seen in the warehouse. Every vessel has its own housekeeping and the warehouse is where we receive, store and dispatch everything from spare parts to printer cartridges and toilet paper. We needed to expand to make room for everything," he says.The new warehouse has a fireproofed chemical room and is also environmen-tally noteworthy thanks to the airlocks on the doors that prevent warm air being lost when goods are being delivered into the warehouse.

There is also much to be gained in logistics now that there we have a suits workshop with its own laundry. The suits can now be serviced faster and easier.

ENVIRONMENT AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT IN FOCUSThere are many environmental initiatives that will make a difference. The large gate at the gable end will function as an air lock so that the heat in the workshop is not let out. The ventilation works on a return system that ensures optimal use of heat and the building lives up to all the regulations for isolation in new buildings. LED lighting has been used everywhere and sensors ensure that they are not lit unnecessarily. All this will be topped off with solar panels on the roof to generate sustainable power.The working environment will also be op-timised. Sound proofing has been installed in the large halls in the workshop and the ventilation has been balanced for comfort throughout. Before being released, air flows past the boat preparation room where the boats are washed and readied. This ensures that the boats are quickly dried and warmed, optimising the working environ-ment and safety as boats will not be cold and wet to work on. Ergonomics have been taken into consider-ation everywhere. All desks can be height adjusted to ensure the optimal working position when working with motors. Air extraction has been optimised and, for example, extraction has been built into the tables used for gluing suits:"There are no standards for workshops that work with boats so we have chosen to follow the standard for car workshops as we work with chassis and motors. The standard for car workshops is high and has strict requirements for the working environment – as do we," says Søren Westphal:"It also means a great deal to have daylight and a fantastic view. It reminds us why we are here – we can see right out to the sea where ESVAGT operates," he says.

LOGISTICS CENTRE TAKEN INTO SERVICE

Along with the new storage facilities, there is also a secured room of approximately half a square metre for storing supplies of vessel pyrotechnics.


WORKSHOP AND LOGISTICS WORKSHOP AND LOGISTICS

" ESVAGT SIGMA""Esvagt Sigma" started on a new contract for Enquest on the 19th of May. The contract, which runs for four years, is for providing standby service for the drilling rig, the "Transocean Leader" in the northern part of the English sector.

" ESVAGT CLAUDINE"

"Esvagt Claudine" started working for Total UK on the 12th of March with standby service for the drilling rig, the "Prosper 5". It is the first time Total UK has chosen an ESVAGT vessel for a set period of work. The "Esvagt Claudine" is expected to remain with the "Prosper 5" until the end of 2015.

" ESVAGT CHAMPION""Esvagt Champion" started its new contract on the 19th of May for Enquest. Its task is to provide standby service for the drilling rig, the "Stena Spey" in UK North Central for the next 12 to 18 months.

" ESVAGT CASSIOPEIA""Esvagt Cassiopeia" has ended its work for Maraton UK and is moving on to Apache UK, where we expect the standby job on the "WilPhonix" to continue until October 2015.

Photo: Tomas Østberg-Jacobsen


NEW CONTRACTS

" ESVAGT CELINA"

"Esvagt Celina" continues its work with the drilling rig, the "Blackford Dolphin" for Nexen and then has a contract with Chevron for an extended drilling programme on up to 11 wells.

Wintershall has signed a contract for an ESVAGT C-type vessel for 1 plus 1 drilling jobs in the Danish sector from the end of July and eight months on. The rig is the "Ensco 121".

" ESVAGT CELESTE"Edison Norge starts a new drilling programme for up to two wells starting at the end of June and the "Esvagt Celeste" will be providing standby service.

" ESVAGT CAPELLA"

"Esvagt Capella" has extended its contract with Nexen for standby services for the rig, the "Paragon MMS1" in the area northeast of Aber-deen. The contract is expected to continue until January 2016.

Premier Norge will be drilling up to two wells starting in July or August with the drilling rig, the "Maersk Guardian". A contract has been signed for an ESVAGT C-type vessel.


NEW CONTRACTS NEW CONTRACTS

"ESVAGT PREVENTER" TURNS BACK TIME

Before and after photos of the "Esvagt Preventer" in the Kieler canal, photographed by "shipspotter" Uwe Kuphaldt, KielerZwo

FACTS

ESVAGT has already upgraded the

"Esvagt Bravo", the "Esvagt Promotor",

the "Esvagt Echo" and now the "Es-

vagt Preventer". According to Kristian

Ole Jakobsen, Chief Operating Officer

at ESVAGT, the "Esvagt Preserver" is

the next vessel that will be upgraded

in the near future.


ESVAGT PREVENTER

R

VESSEL UPGRADES: PART OF THE ORIGINAL ESVAGT FLEET IS UNDERGOING MODERNISATION.

"I had better take this one."It is 13.30 one Monday afternoon and Svend Åge Korup's telephone is ringing again. For about the sixth time in the last half an hour. We are in the office of the old manager's premises at the top of the hill behind Søby Dockyard on the Danish island of Ærø.The "Esvagt Preventer" is at the quayside and people are toing and froing in and out of the vessel. Svend Åge Korup is ESVAGT's technical inspector for the refitting of the "Esvagt Preventer" and that makes him the man where the buck stops:"I normally have to recharge my telephone at lunchtime," says Svend Åge Korup with a smile.The refitting of the "Esvagt Preventer" is one part of the upgrade programme that six of the eldest ESVAGT vessels are going through. The refits will ensure that the fleet is up-to-date and modern, and that it can live up to the needs and expectations of its customers. At the same time, the vessels are being upgraded to make them modern workplaces for the colleagues on board. The upgrade of the "Esvagt Preventer" is the most extensive of them all. "The vessel is being turned inside out and old vessels are like old houses; they are full of surprises once you get going," says Svend Åge Korup.

THE YEARS FALL AWAY"Turned inside out" is no exaggeration. The vessel is a building site with between 20 and 25 men on the go for 12 hours a day in every room and every cabin on every floor. They hammer and pound away, and the years fall away from the "Esvagt Preventer" one by one.All the cabins on the main deck are gone, all dividing walls taken out and all corridors, ceilings and floor coverings replaced. New cables have been installed, new and larger cabins and mess areas have been installed – as has an extra toilet. The wheelhouse has been given a new interior and more space has been added. There is new ventilation in

every cabin and new radiators. There are new control panels, completely renovated mo-tors, a new fire warning system and updated IT, radar and other electronics worthy of a king. Anything that has not been replaced has been cleaned, scrubbed, oiled or painted to shine like a new penny. The hull has even had new panels where thickness readings have shown it necessary. It has been tidied, made more roomy, sorted and organised:"We are installing a cupboard anywhere there is a space 30 centimetres by 30 centi-metres," says Svend Åge Korup.

"ESVAGT PREVENTER" TURNS BACK TIME

Technical inspector, Svend Åge Korup has lead the upgrade of the "Esvagt Preventer" at Søby shipyard.

The wheelhouse on the "Esvagt Preventer" has been extended to improve the view aft.

Activity levels are high in all rooms and up to 25 men can be working to-gether on the vessel at any one time.


ESVAGT PREVENTERESVAGT PREVENTER

Peter Vie is master on board ESVAGT's eldest ship, the 52 year old "Esvagt Bravo". He is delighted about the upgraded, modern workplace that he now has on board the "Esvagt Bravo".

"It is a good vessel and has never had any problems but it was a little dark and old-fashioned. Now that everything seems lighter, you can really see what a difference it makes," he says.

Like most of the crew, Peter Vie is a former fisherman and is used to working on small vessels and in cramped conditions."We don't mind that – it's cosy - but it is also important for a vessel looks good. It is our home – and that is how we treat it too. That also means that you want it to look nice," says the man who was allowed to paint his own cabin some years ago to make it lighter.According to Peter Vie, the biggest improve-ment has been the few square metres of extension added to the suit room. This has freed up space in other places and made it possible to optimise the layout. The bilge keel is also a stroke of genius: "It has made the vessel a good 200 percent better".All in all, the general renovation of the vessel is a real bonus, he says:"Being on a nice vessel is important for your mood. You also feel appreciated, I think. We have an owner who works hard to make sure that we feel comfortable and that makes you happy," says Peter Vie.

The vessel will be at least as good as the day it was built. On comfort and safety standards, it will even be a great deal better:"We have changed everything but the hull – and even that we have modified with a new bilge keel that will improve comfort on board. We have also added plenty of comfort with, for example, a new fitness room, more room in the mess area, an updated TV room below deck and much more," says Svend Åge Korup:"We have also introduced a good number of initiatives that will make the vessel a safer workplace. We will be installing a reverse osmosis system on the vessel so we can produce our own drinking water. That will avoid the risk inherent in bunkering water. Extending the wheelhouse gives us a better view aft, makes manoeuvring safer and we have relocated elements on the deck to make better use of space and lower risks," he says.

"YOU FEEL APPRECIATED!"THE UPGRADE OF THE "ESVAGT BRAVO" IMPROVES MOOD AND JOB SATISFACTION.

The pipes are welded into position next to the new toilet in the corridor.

New cables have been installed throughout – including the wheelhouse.


VESSEL UPGRADES

THE UPGRADE OF THE "ESVAGT PREVENTER" HAS IMPROVED WORKING AND LIVING CONDITIONS ON BOARD, SAY CREW MEMBERS.

"This is our home half the time, so it is im-portant to morale that you like being there."Explains René Kjær, chief officer on board the "Esvagt Preventer". He has every reason to smile because the "Esvagt Preventer" has just returned from a thorough refit that saw everything from top to bottom stripped back and renewed. This completely new interior makes a difference."Many of the impractical things have been tidied up. The set up in the cabins is better and the mess room has been made bigger. The smoking room, TV room and wash-rooms – everything has been improved. The

wheelhouse has been made lighter and the sight and view have been improved, which is really good," he says.Jimmy B. Rasmussen, who has worked as AB on board the "Esvagt Preventer" for the last five years, agrees:"Conditions for the crew both for working and for free time are much better, he says:"The vessel is much more corporate-like now. It is light, it looks good and everything is well arranged. The flow of work is much better. We no longer need to drag supplies from bow to stern, making things easier and safer. Having an osmosis system on board also means a great deal, as we can now produce our own drinking and bathing water. That makes us feel much better be-cause we no longer need to keep an eye on how much water we are using and it makes us safer as we avoid having to bunker for fresh water, he says.

René Kjær (left) and Jimmy B. Rasmussen are pleased with the completely upgraded "Esvagt Preventer".

CREW PLEASED WITH UPGRADEUPGRADE – BECAUSE:

There are good reasons to upgrade the eld-

est section of the ESVAGT fleet – the group

3 vessels, says Kristian Ole Jakobsen, Chief

Operating Officer at ESVAGT:

"We are making a number of welfare and

technical improvements that will update the

vessels. These projects are extensive both in

terms of time and resources but most of the

group 3 ships are particularly seaworthy and

completely solid. We have had good results

with upgrade and life extensions on other

vessels and we expect these vessels will

perform without any problems for the next

ten years after the upgrade," he says.


VESSEL UPGRADES VESSEL UPGRADES

SOCIAL NETWORK TO STRENGTHEN DIALOGUE AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING BETWEEN SAILORS ON EVERY VESSEL.

A sailor on an ESVAGT vessel mislaid his suit and wrote on "Yammer" to hear if any of his colleagues had found it."Someone from our crew had seen it on board the crewchange vessel, the "Esvagt Beta" on the 27th," was the response.Put simply, "Yammer" is a traditional intranet whose platform is based on the social media sites that are already familiar to us, for example Facebook or Twitter. "Yammer" is a Microsoft product that has been developed for use in organisations. It is especially suitable for companies in which colleagues are geographically

dispersed and in which not everyone sits in front of a computer. ESVAGT has recently implemented "Yam-mer" in the entire fleet; as far as they know, it is the first fleet in the world to have it. "ESVAGT chose "Yammer" based on a needs analysis," Brian Schildt from the company, Collibre, which, in cooperation with Klin-genberg Data, has assisted ESVAGT in the process:"There are over 800 sailors in ESVAGT who do not have a company email address and do not need one in their daily working life. At the same time, these are people with a wealth

of experience and knowledge that is good to share. "Yammer" is the ideal tool for this," he says.

EXTENDING COLLEGIALITY"Yammer" is similar to Facebook and you can log on via pc, tablet or smart phone. You can post something on a group or company wall to which colleagues can comment. You can make new groups and share experiences with others with the same job function.

"Creating commu-nities with the same interests makes good sense in a company like ESVAGT. These groups can be internal vessel groups or groups based on func-

"THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAILORS AND LAND AND BETWEEN SAILORS THEMSELVES. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT "YAMMER" CAN CONTRIBUTE TO".

Brian Schildt, consultant

NEW FLEET-WIDE DIALOGUE NETWORK FOR ESVAGT SAILORS


ESVAGT has appointed five colleagues from its vessels as "Yammer champi-ons" who will spread the message to seamen."Having ambassadors who can show the way to their fellow colleagues is important. They will contribute to cre-ating the traffic and life that "Yammer" needs to work," says Lise Bjerning Terp, Management Assistant at ESVAGT:""Yammer" needs to be anchored amongst the seamen to work. It was therefore important that we included five colleagues from our vessels right from the testing phase. They needed to see the potential and want to be part of spreading the message," she says. The company's works committee helped to select the "Yammer cham-pions".

One of those five is Jesper Holm, Master on board the "Esvagt Dee". He is enthusiastic about the new tool and uses it often:""Yammer" has given us much better access to information and dialogue in our everyday work," he says:"It is much more dynamic and inter-active than the newsletters we used to have. This is live and fast. You can com-ment on things and initiate dialogue. It has great potential," says Jesper Holm.He is a keen advocate of "Yammer" and hopes that more colleagues will see what it can do:"The possibilities for a good debate with colleagues is one of the big plusses. Seamen like to be told things and like to discuss things about work and "Yammer" is a fantastic platform for this," he says.

tion or work tasks. A colleague had issues with a paint that would not harden and sought advice on "Yammer". A number of ESVAGT colleagues who attend navigation school have also formed a group. "Yammer" transfers the advantages there are with social networks onto a company level," says Brian Schildt.""Yammer" will help increase dialogue and experience sharing between people who would otherwise have difficulty contacting each other on a daily basis. It is user friendly and is a significant facilitator of collegiality and a useful tool in day-to-day work. For example, the crewchange vessel overview that was previously difficult to distribute to every sailor is now available on "Yammer"," says Brian Schildt.

MORE CONVERSATIONAnother ambition for "Yammer" is to estab-lish a practical channel for open dialogue and knowledge sharing. "Crewchange vessels have been one of the platforms for dispersing information to colleagues because these are places where

everybody comes at one point or other - but this kind of communication is only one-way. "Yammer" provides something else. The weekly "ESVAGT Weekly" from the HSEQ department is now distributed on "Yammer" and the function for asking concrete questions about, for example, new instructions, is already in use. We expect that this will be a tool for dialogue that HSEQ, Ship Management or other depart-ments can use to share knowledge both from vessel to vessel and between vessel and land," says Brian Schildt. Another good example of the advantages with open dialogue is a debate about sizing of the new work clothes. Several colleagues found that the sizes they receive have var-ied from the ones that they have tried on:"This could have been 40 problems for 40 individual vessels but by sharing through "Yammer" it became one dialogue that lead to the supplier being contacted to solve the issue," says Brian Schildt.

"EXCELLENT FOR QUICK AND RELEVANT DIALOGUE"


On Easter Monday, ESVAGT hosted an open vessel arrangement where all employees and their families were invited to visit the new SOV vessel, the "Esvagt Faraday", which was moored just outside the company headquarters in Esbjerg. The turnout was excellent. From early morning, colleagues queued for guided tours of the vessel that, along with its sister vessel, the "Esvagt Froude", demonstrates ESVAGT's engagement in the offshore wind farm market. Around 800 guests were shown round the six-storey vessel throughout the day and after the tour, they enjoyed an Easter lunch in the form of grill sausages and Cocio chocolate milk on the quayside.

WELL-ATTENDED OPEN VESSEL ARRANGEMENT


OPEN VESSEL OPEN VESSEL / MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

WELL-ATTENDED OPEN VESSEL ARRANGEMENT

ESVAGT UNIFIES MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TO MEET FUTURE STANDARDS, INCREASE CLARITY AND STRENGTHEN OWNERSHIP.

Lissi Franzen, Senior Assistant Manager in HSEQ, has been working on unifying, simplifying and adapting an enormous number of documents in the various ESVAGT systems into one new, process orientated management system since the start of 2015. The new ISO standards come into force from autumn 2015 and ESVAGT's ambition is to start implementing them in 2016. This

will require effort spent on structuring the many standards and working on defining, re-writing and tailoring so that documents meet ISO standards, customer needs and ESVAGT's own requirements, processes and IT platforms. This work will take time, but is essential."We want to enter all the standard require-ments into one matrix from which we will create a modern management system that will control our processes, procedures and instructions, and ensure a standardised product," says Lissi Franzen:"Reducing the amount of documentation and removing any overlap we may have had will improve clarity. Fewer documents also generally makes it easier for the

employee to see which documents are particularly relevant and important for a given task."We started with 1,025 documents and are currently down to 341. Our aim is to get down to around 200," she explains.To strengthen ownership in the manage-ment system, it is also important that col-leagues both at sea and on land contribute with input:"We are very aware that management systems demand engagement from all col-leagues in order to function in our everyday working life. Each colleague needs to be able to find his or her place and job func-tion in the system in order to feel a sense of ownership," says Lissi Franzen.

NEW MANAGEMENT SYSTEM STRENGTHENS OWNERSHIP


OPEN VESSEL OPEN VESSEL / MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

CAN BEAD ARRANGING BE A SIGN OF OCCUPATIONAL INJURY?ESVAGT vessels have been the source of inspiration for artwork in many shapes and forms. We have seen crochet versions of ESVAGT vessels and cakes in the shape of ESVAGT vessels. The latest in this artistic line is an ESVAGT vessel in iron-over beads:"Started off sitting and playing with my daughter – ended up building this! Can this be classed as an occupational injury?" asks Chief Officer Martin Holck-Clausen from the "Esvagt Server".

YOUR OWN ESVAGT NEWSDid you read this magazine in the canteen or on the internet?Order your own, completely free, copy of the magazine to make sure that you are always up to date on what is happen-ing at ESVAGT.Send your name and address to [email protected] and you will receive the magazine directly by post. You can also order the pdf version that we will send to your mailbox.

– SAFETY AND SUPPORT AT SEA

Dokvej 4DK-6700 Esbjerg

Phone: +45 78 730 730

[email protected]

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