Safer deck operations – SDO for anchor handling vessel

Keeping crew out of harm's way

SDO – Safer Deck Operations - is as the name suggests a concept covering deck machinery products and systems applied to offshore service vessels. Its aim is to reduce the safety hazards for crew working on deck, for example engaged in laying out rig moorings on an AHTS where chains wires or ropes may be under high tension, or where heavy anchors and other equipment must be moved around the deck. On a PSV it applies to handling deck cargo or hoses for liquid or powder cargo working alongside an offshore rig or platform.

The principle behind SDO is to reduce the amount of heavy manual work and to allow the crew to perform deck operations by remote control from a safe distance where they also have a good view of the operation. For some equipment the preferred operating station is the vessel's aft-facing bridge console. In some other cases the equipment can be operated from a safe vantage point using a portable radio control box. A high proportion of deck machinery products now come under the SDO concept.