Norsafe Wins Polar Code Contract with Damen

Norsafe has signed a new contract with Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding BV to supply its IMO Polar Code compliant Life Saving Appliances (LSA) to an arctic supply and research vessel for the Australian Antarctic Division.

It will be supplying two JYN-85 conventional lifeboats with LH-140 davits and two JYN-115 lifeboats with LH-185 davits to the vessel.

This is the second order Norsafe has received for its specialist LSA winning its first Polar Code contract with the British Antarctic Survey Polar Research vessel “Sir David Attenborough” in November last year.

“Winning these contracts is vindication for the huge amount of work carried out by the team here at Norsafe to ensure that our specialized LSA is adapted for the most extreme cold weather conditions,” said Erik Mostert, Project Manager, Technical - R/D.

“We have to ensure our equipment will withstand at least ten days in the harsh Polar environment,” he added.

In fact, Norsafe was the first LSA supplier to put its equipment through full scale tests and trials during a joint stakeholder SAR-EX (Search and Rescue) expedition in April 2016 with the Norwegian Coast Guard, Norwegian Maritime Authorities, Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authorities, ENI, DNV-GL and 5 different universities.

Full scale tests and exercises have been performed in both simulated and realistic Polar conditions to document product performance. Specific risk analysis was also undertaken to assess and mitigate potential risks and to demonstrate compliance with the code.

In April 2017 Norsafe will return to Spitzbergan, Norway, to participate in a second Polar Code trial arranged by the Norwegian Maritime Authority where a winterized Norsafe conventional lifeboat will undergo further tests to assess the adaptations and effectiveness in Polar conditions. This knowledge and expertise puts Norsafe at the forefront in reaching customers operating in Polar environments who require the utmost in reliability and safety.