Offshore rig contractor Transocean has successfully deployed its new HaloGuard safety system onboard drillship Deepwater Conqueror in the US Gulf of Mexico. The contractor touts HaloGuard as an industry-first safety system that integrates wearable locating devices with drill floor equipment and machine stoppage controls designed to provide an advanced layer of individual protection on the drill floor.
The HaloGuard transmitter together with a machine vision system is designed to track the position of personnel on the drill floor and key drill floor equipment while operating.
When a crew member comes within a certain proximity of moving equipment, he or she is notified by an alarm through the wearable device. In the event the crew member remains in close proximity of the moving equipment, the system will stop the equipment from moving until the crew member returns to a safer, more distant position.
“We are extremely proud of our efforts to provide our crews with additional tools and resources to complement our industry-leading training and safety programs,” said Transocean president and chief executive Jeremy Thigpen. “This deployment once again showcases Transocean’s ability to develop and advance innovation within offshore drilling. We believe HaloGuard will be a differentiating safety system that others will want to utilize within our industry and potentially within other industries as well.”
Transocean’s patented HaloGuard methodology and technology were developed with the assistance of Houston Mechatronics and Salunda and incorporate Salunda’s patented CrewHawk real-time location technology.
Transocean plans to deploy the technology on six additional rigs by the end of 2021.