SURVITEC: Trusted, Safe, Secure – Growing Survitec Open to new Partnerships

The North Sea is, without a doubt, a harsh operating and working environment which requires trusted, high-performance PPE technology to ensure the safety of our customer’s offshore workforce.

Survitec has supported the oil & gas sector in the North Sea since the 1970s with immersion suits and lifejackets for offshore helicopter transportation, offshore emergency abandonment and offshore work requirements. At Survitec, survival suits, lifejackets, and PPE products have evolved over this time in relation to new fabric, component and design technology and further reacting to new legislation and certification demands.

Survitec were the first manufacturer to introduce a CA-EBS lifejacket system for the UK North Sea in 2014; the MK50 lifejacket met with the UK CAA CAP 1034 demand for an integrated lifejacket system c/w compressed air emergency breathing system.

Post the strategic acquisition of Hansen Protection in 2021, Survitec command a market-leading position supporting the offshore helicopter transportation sector throughout the North Sea in Norway, the UK, Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany.

Besides the North Sea, Survitec supports operations in cold water regions such as Canada, Azerbaijan, Argentina, and Italy (seasonal).

Survitec also supports other operating environments throughout the global energy sector with helicopter passenger and crew lifejacket systems, the MK50 and latterly, the new Survitec Halo Lifejacket systems, which are supporting offshore transportation in the Americas, Middle East, and APAC regions.

The new Halo lifejacket is a ‘constant wear’ lifejacket designed and approved for use on helicopters operating to or from helidecks located in a hostile sea area. With its sculpted bladder, ergonomic Fusion 3D shape and compact EBS – which provides 80% more breathable air than the minimum standard – the Halo provides operators with an enhanced level of safety, comfort and in-water performance not currently available in the energy aviation sector. Post-certification and introduction in 2020, the Halo lifejacket and EBS system is meeting growing demand, with over 6,000 units safely supporting offshore training and over 1 million passenger movements annually.

Within Survitec are the market-leading brands Hansen Protection, Crewsaver, Survitec HeliPPE, Survival-One and the Survitec brand itself, amongst others. The company boasts some of the best products available with these four brands. Lifejackets, protective suits, liferafts, fire protection, servicing and maintenance, and a range of related services – are available to purchase or hire.

As the global energy sector transitions into the renewable energy market, Survitec has remained at the forefront of PPE design technology and certification demands. While complimenting the Survitec offer, the Hansen Protection acquisition provided access to a market-leading range of immersion suits designed to meet customer, market, and legislative demands within the Offshore Wind sector. The SeaWind II, SeaWind III and SeaBreeze suit ranges are designed to meet the crossover usage demand for helicopter and crew vessel transfer. The SeaWind suits are tri-approved to ETSO, SOLAS and ISO 15027 standards.

Survitec provides PPE product and rental support to the offshore wind sector in the UK, Europe, the USA and Taiwan. Survitec recently celebrated the opening of a new service and logistics site in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, to target the offshore wind market in the US.

AWARD-WINNING

Significant success has been achieved recently in adapting widely-used immersion suits, including the 1000 series passenger suit, to comfortably fit more shapes, sizes, and forms as the offshore energy workforce of tomorrow changes in nature.

“We are working with Ørsted to support their efforts to achieve a 40% female workforce and foster an environment where women can thrive. We have been engaging with our in-house expert team to discuss the insights we’ve collected from our survey to date on “women working offshore.” We’re positive to see how the responses we’ve received so far will shape the future of offshore personal protective equipment (PPE). Our mission is to make the offshore industry a safer and more inclusive space for women”, said Jim Cook, Head of Business Development at Survitec.

Already proven in this area, Survitec won an award in March 23 alongside Shell, who conducted an insights survey in 2022 to better understand the current immersion suit experience for those travelling offshore. This followed anecdotal comments about the fit of immersion suits and what this meant in practice for women in a male-dominated and male-created environment. The challenge addressed the immersion suit fit issue for all genders and body types.

With women being 27% more likely to experience this. The most common area of improvement, as reported by 25% of respondents, was finding a suit with suitably fitting neck and wrist seals that also fit the body in terms of height and width.

Survitec set out to improve the immersion suit experience for all. The solution involved thoroughly reviewing the physical product and the processes surrounding receiving an immersion suit.

Richard Gordon, Sales Manager at Survitec, said, “The key outcomes included adjustments of the sizing and seals, increasing readily available sizes by 30%. This modular design means any size of a suit can be fitted with any size of wrist and neck seals. In addition, pre-flight fitting is offered as standard. This is perfect for those who have not travelled offshore before or for anyone with a physical disability who may need a bespoke alteration. These bespoke suits are stored for the individual when not in use and issued like all other suits at the heliport.

“It reduces the time spent on finding and fitting the right immersion suits, ultimately leading to fewer delays and a smoother, more comfortable journey offshore. This translates into a more productive use of time, enabling colleagues to focus on the jobs they’re there to do”.

GLOBAL PARTNER

Survitec was established in 1920 and has ever since been inventing and innovating to provide critical survival and safety solutions. Floatation bags were the initial idea, and with the addition of new brands through merger and acquisition over the past century, Survitec is today a global partner.

“We are over 3,000 people located in 96 countries around the world, with 2,000 ports covered through servicing – our offering is truly global,” states Gordon.

Even with suggestions that the North Sea could be facing the end of oil and gas production in the medium-term future, with more offshore wind energy coming online, there is no slowdown for Survitec. In fact, as the global focus on safety increases, there is an opportunity galore for offshore transfer and operation. The company’s Energy Solutions division is one receiving increased focus as these markets grow in national importance, with energy security high on the agenda for most.

“We have suits specifically designed for helicopter transfer, CTV transfer, a full customer range for whoever they are, however, they are transferring, and wherever they might be. For example, the Survitec immersion suit ranges cover all operating extremities, our suits are designed to offer alternate levels of thermal protection appropriate to the operating and sea temperature environment” highlights Gordon.

“We remain very active and busy with UK clients,” adds Jim Cook. “We are working closely with our mature Energy clients as they consider or have already commenced their energy transition journey. We are further embedded within the Offshore Wind supply chain supporting wind farm owner, developer, vessel operator and O&M customers. The recent Hansen Protection acquisition provided strategic access to the Survitec HeliPPE business who specialise in the rental of an extensive range of transportation and working at height PPE equipment, providing for leading market position in this sector.

Estimates suggest that the world’s big six energy majors (ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, Eni and TotalEnergies) are now in control of around 30% of total global offshore wind energy production, with output increasing by 715% from 2009 – 2020.

For Survitec, a diverse and widespread client portfolio is key to managing through the transition. The products need no introduction, and the company’s brand clout is powerful. Ensuring quality and end-user satisfaction while achieving volume is the key to future success.

Alongside Maritime, Defence & Government, and Aerospace, Energy Solutions is a critical market. “We have an industry-leading team and are attending more and more events that are energy related to showcasing our offering,” says Cook, speaking of recent displays at OTC, Wind Europe, Global Offshore Wind and an upcoming placement at Offshore Europe.

GLOBAL GROWTH

Our existing presence worldwide provides for expansion opportunities with major international clients, offering global contracting initiatives. Quickly, freely, and effectively, the company can provide world-class products for offshore wind, oil and gas, or any of its key sectors. Areas of growth right now include the UK, Europe, America, Taiwan and Japan, where offshore wind growth continues to flourish or is expected to boom in the coming years.

“We are looking to grow into new markets,” confirms Cook. “We have strong, stable markets where we are leading, for example, Norway, because of Hansen Protection and their heritage in this market. Looking to the USA, we recently built a new location in Rhode Island to support our business operations, we are further working with the global GWO training providers including in Japan with a training centre there following the launch of the first offshore wind farm. Global growth is a strategic target for Survitec, given our worldwide footprint. We have so many in-house products and can truly offer a global solution. In September, one of our messages at Offshore Europe will be around our total coverage of offshore immersion suits globally.”

Headline products like the Halo lifejacket and 1000 series passenger suit are easier to market because of their well-proven international status. But the complete range on offer sets Survitec apart from others who are often single-line suppliers and do not offer the same flexibility and scale.

In addition to our leading range of PPE equipment, Survitec provide a wide range of leading products and inspection services to the O&G and Offshore Wind sectors, including Lifeboat, Life Raft, MES, Firefighting equipment and prevention systems

Buying patterns changed after the pandemic and global shutdowns, and only those able to operate with agility could meet new demands. Here, Survitec promoted its rental contracts to ensure clients could access the best safety technology anywhere in the world without significant initial capex.

“People are purchasing differently, but we see so many opportunities simultaneously,” added Gordon. “We offer a package as much as possible to provide the full circle. We are well-known for our suits and lifejackets because we have advanced technology; for example, the industry-leading Halo lifejacket. We are committed to continuous service improvement and product innovation and offer a service-return contract to ensure that there isn’t massive investment required to help energy customers thrive.”

“We have a brand – Crewsaver – which is a lifejacket specialist. They are continuously innovating and investing in new designs for jackets,” explains Isabel George, a Survitec Marketing Manager. “We have a range that came from ocean racing which was then adapted into a military jacket, and it has now been adapted into a wind jacket as it offers harnessing and more. The official launch will happen in September, and it has gone through years of planning and development. It recently gained its SOLAS approval certificate, making it one of the most advanced life jackets in the industry – it is an incredible product,” George says.

Life can be dangerous in the challenging but necessary offshore wind and energy industries, where people work hard on 12-hour shifts for many consecutive days. Conditions are unpredictable, and when safety and protection are a must, it pays to partner with the best. Survitec is trusted to protect lives.

“It is a very competitive market,” admits George, “but we have the biggest footprint because of our brand portfolio.”

As safety culture has been embedded in oil and gas, and project owners have carried that culture into wind, Survitec continues to stand as a pillar of strength and reliability as a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of life rafts, Marine Evacuation Systems (MES) and offshore rental PPE. For now, George and the team are happy with the progress in the UK market and excited about expanding elsewhere. “It would be a dream ambition to one day have every person transferred offshore in a Survitec lifejacket or immersion suit.”