Meet the Expert event materials – Health & Safety (Ireland) with Irish Marine Safety

In an industry involving high-risk environments operations, health and safety for marine renewable energy is an essential aspect of the sector. As part of the Meet the Expert series, the Selkie project hosted two sessions looking at the health and safety considerations for projects across both Wales and Ireland.

After a brilliant morning session with Welsh-based Watson Ord Renewables, Selkie was delighted to introduce Declan Dixon of Irish Marine Safety, providing perspectives from across the Irish Sea. Based in Dublin, Irish Marine Safety deliver a range of marine-based safety services for marine operations and with vast experience in health and safety management in offshore projects, Declan provided a comprehensive overview of the safety training, management systems, risk assessments and emergency procedures required for marine energy activities.

As was discussed during the morning session, Irish Marine Safety covered the importance of safety legislation in determining best practices and how organisations should use in-house safety policies and safety statements to specify the relevant procedures and management within a project. For many offshore specific activities, emergency preparedness is key, and as well as the necessary risk assessments and mitigation measures, it is also essential to run drill practices and equipment checks as part of the offshore procedures.

As part of the Q&A, an interesting discussion point was raised surrounding weather conditions and how to consider such an unpredictable element within offshore operations. It was highlighted that weather will be highly dependent on location as well as time of year and therefore needs to be considered in specific task procedures, as opposed to general project risk assessments. In order to account for unpredictable elements such as this, project managers and developers were advised to consider the relative training and safety standards that any contracted marine operators may have as an essential part of project planning.

Overall, the session was a fantastic opportunity for attendees to ask project-specific questions and gain detailed advice from an expert in the field. As providers of a range of marine safety services, Irish Marine Safety have a fantastic depth of experience in marine safety, and you can find out more about their work on their website here.

To access the recording of the event please see the video above and download the session presentation here.

If you would like to register for our upcoming sessions in the Meet the Expert series, please view our scheduled events and book your place at future sessions here.

For further information on the Selkie project and network, get in touch with sophie@mentermon.com to find out how the Selkie project may be able to support your business in the marine energy industry.