Oceaneering, Danos Win 2020 NOIA Safety in Seas Awards

WASHINGTON - The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) announced that Oceaneering and Danos are the winners of the 2020 NOIA Safety in Seas Awards competition. Oceaneering was selected for the 2020 NOIA Safety in Seas Safety Practice Award, and Danos is recognized for the 2020 NOIA Safety in Seas Culture of Safety Award.

The Safety Practice Award recognizes specific technologies, approaches, methods or projects with direct and demonstrable impacts on improving safety. The Culture of Safety Award honors overall organizational immersion in and commitment to safety, which has resulted in remarkable, measurable, and sustained safety performance over a prolonged period of time.

NOIA President Erik Milito congratulated Oceaneering and Danos, saying, “The congratulations to Oceaneering and Danos is well-earned. Safety is a core value of the offshore industry, and Oceaneering and Danos exemplify this dedication to keeping workers and the environment safe. The Safety in the Seas awards are very competitive with many companies demonstrating highly advanced safety practices and safety cultures. We thank all of the applicants, who represent almost every industry segment, for playing a strong role in the continuous advancement of safety in offshore operations. The same innovation and expertise that allows our industry to tap new energy frontiers also drives continuous safety improvement. The dedication to safety is one of the many reasons why the American offshore should be the energy region of choice for the U.S. and the world.” 

Oceaneering is recognized for the Safety Practice Award for their Liberty™ E-ROV resident subsea vehicle. The E-ROV is piloted fully from the onshore, eliminating the need for remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and vessel personnel to travel to and from offshore, which reduces work in higher-risk environments. The E-ROV has led to a 75% reduction in topside support vessel and crew support, as well as a reduction of 1,400 tons of CO2 emissions. The E-ROV concept also increases the applications for other ROV systems and deployments, including subsea sensors, pumping systems and monitoring equipment.

Oceaneering President & CEO Rod Larson says, “We are honored to have won NOIA’s 2020 Safety Practice Award for our Liberty™ E-ROV resident subsea vehicle. We are proud to be recognized for our strong commitment to safety and innovation. We strongly believe that through our advanced technologies we can help keep energy industry employees safe while they undertake their important tasks. The Liberty vehicle is remote controlled from shore, which means ROV pilots and other related personnel do not need to be physically present at offshore installations, taking workers out of harm’s way. The vehicle’s battery-operated power supply coupled with its ability to conduct missions without a dedicated vessel ensures that the industry can further reduce its environmental footprint. The Liberty E-ROV system is just one example of how Oceaneering is delivering safe and cost-effective technology solutions for the offshore energy industry.”

Danos is recognized for the Culture of Safety Award for establishing an institutional safety culture through behavior-based safety programs and innovations like virtual reality to enhance worker training and augmented reality to improve work processes. Despite Danos employees logging a company record 8.9 million man-hours (a 35% increase over the previous high), Danos recorded a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.11, another company best.

“Danos is honored to be this year’s recipient of NOIA’s Culture of Safety Award,” Says Danos Owner Executive Paul Danos. “We have been developing our safety program and culture for 73 years. While our company has grown, and our service offerings have evolved, one thing that has remained constant is putting people and their safety first. Our safety team is second to none, but every Danos employee plays a role in contributing to our safety culture on a daily basis.”

The award-winning entries from Oceaneering and Danos were evaluated by an independent panel of judges from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and an industry safety consultant.  There were 14 applications from 13 companies between the two Safety in Seas Categories. 

NOIA has held the SIS awards competition since 1978 to recognize those who contribute to improving the safety of life in the offshore energy industry.