Danish saftware specialist SafeEx has developed software for Ex inspection and registration now deployed on three FPSOs, with more orders expected.
Traditionally, Ex inspections have been conducted with pen and paper as well as subsequent manual registration in own system or with various software solutions for the individual routines and processes.
Image: The Peregrino FPSO, which uses SafeEx software.
SafeEx' software provides a complete solution for hand-held units with a uniform set-up that can be used on all units and for all routines such as hose management and commissioning.
The SafeEx Software is now installed on three BW Offshore FPSOs, and it has also been DNV rubber-stamped as the Ex documentation system for BW Offshore.
The latest is on the BW ABO, where BW Offshore needed to conduct inspections of 4000 units of electrical equipment and update its Ex register.
Through using SafeEx software, BW Offshore now has a uniform set-up on the FSPOs Peregrino, Athena and ABO, where all related documentation is gathered in one place and from where they have the possibility to see and manage all future Ex maintenance.
In addition, BW Offshore is also thinking about implementing the system on FPSO Athena for their daily Plant Maintenance checks. BW Offshore has also identified the benefits of implementing such a system on new-build projects, when the electrical systems are being installed and commissioned.
"The SafeEx team have provided us with seamless migration from the legacy Ex registers to the new, more efficient SafeEx register. Implementation has been performed by a campaign team of SafeEx’s highly experienced Ex inspectors, where each Ex tag on the FPSO is inspected, unique RFID tag applied and all information populated into the new register," says Graeme Matthews, EIT Superintendent, FPSO Athena, BW Offshore."
"One of the areas of noticeable improvement is a considerable reduction in the man hours required to manually populate details of inspections performed into the Ex register. The SafeEx system performs this otherwise time-consuming task by autonomously synchronizing inspection details from the RFID PDA into the secure Ex register server," he adds.
All information is registered immediately after each inspection and both the unit concerned and, not least, on-shore management, are thus given the full snapshot of the maintenance condition.
"Taking lessons learned from the industry around us, we have identified the significant costs and project delays operators have experienced in taking delivery of a new build with substandard electrical installation from the construction yard. The SafeEx system can provide improved project quality control for the E&I construction phase ensuring construction yard installations meet the Ex criteria before leaving the yard and thus avoiding the costly project and start up delays due to Ex defects," concludes Matthews.
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