Air2Work Invests ?1million in UKCS Base

ENERGY sector breathing equipment specialist Air2Work today announces the appointment of new CEO Kevin O'Connor in Aberdeen, as it confirms an investment of more than £1million to expand its UKCS fleet of equipment for workers operating in hazardous environments on and offshore.

Air2Work markets and services breathing air systems, developed and built by parent company E Innovation in Norway, delivering them across the UKCS North Sea and Norwegian sector, with a target to grow the business into the US, Canada and Australia.

The company, which secured contracts with operators and oilfield service companies worth a substantial six-figure sum in the final quarter of 2013, currently has six staff at its base at Wellheads Industrial Estate, Aberdeen in addition to a team of 50 in Norway.

Air2Work will employ two additional staff to support its technical engineering and sales teams in Aberdeen, as it doubles its rental fleet of breathing air systems to 30 units, with further capital investment expected to follow on the back of contract wins expected later in the year. 

Kevin O'Connor will lead Air2Work's UKCS growth plans as former CEO Alan Brodie moves into a non-executive director's position.

"The marketplace is continually growing and there are significant opportunities for Air2Work, particularly given the ageing nature of assets throughout the global oil and gas industry – both in terms of renovation and decommissioning," says Kevin.

"Major renovation programmes, as part of shutdown and turnaround operations, involve exposing energy sector workers to hazardous conditions and our equipment provides them with guaranteed safe breathing air.

"We are seeing rising demand from asset maintenance contractors, with projects such as blasting and painting, tank cleaning and non-destructive testing campaigns, sandblasting and painting also involving specialists undertaking works in hazardous environment operations.

"Continuously monitoring air quality and remediating the effects of hazardous substances for those contractors is absolutely crucial to ensuring their safety – providing the capability to deliver safe air is the cornerstone of Air2Work's business."

A former engineer and commissioned education officer in the RAF, Kevin is an experienced sales, operations and business restructuring director with a background in the civil, aviation and defence sectors. He has worked across the energy sector for companies including Baker Hughes, Halliburton and Cameron. 

Air2Work was established in 2010, and moved into the UKCS in 2012 following the opening of its Aberdeen base.

Its breathing air systems are the first ATEX Zone 1-certified technology of its kind, combining an oil-free air compressor, real-time air quality monitoring equipment and emergency back-up air source in a portable unit. The equipment is designed for use on offshore platforms and vessels as well as at land-based worksites.

In addition to monitoring and filtering air, the Air2Work system delivers it at a temperature which ensures technicians' masks don’t steam up, with a dew point less dry than that supplied by HP bottled air significantly improving their ability to work safely.

Air2Work is exhibiting at the Shutdowns & Turnarounds Europe 2014 Conference, at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, from February 24-26 – Stand 2.