Safe and reliable evacuation of personnel from offshore oil and gas production facilities is a critical consideration in both the design and licensing of these operations.

There are many factors affecting the launching of lifeboats from these remote production facilities including wind and sea conditions.  It is not enough to safely launch the lifeboat.  It is also necessary to ensure the lifeboat is kept at a safe distance from the platform's structure until it is safely powered and under way otherwise the craft could easily be damaged due to wind and seas pounding it against the structure.

One proven method to accomplish this is through the use of Schat - Harding's PROD booms.  Schatt Harding is a market leader in marine life-saving systems.  The PROD boom is mounted on the deck of the platform and extends over the side of the platform with a tag line connected to the lifeboat.  As the lifeboat is lowered to the water tension is taken up in the tag line keeping the lifeboat clear of the platform's structure.

Two key factors in design of all components for off-shore platforms are weight and corrosion resistance.  FRP offers both these features at a very competitive price and hence was chosen by Schat - Harding as the material of construction for these booms.  Due to the critical nature of this application Schat - Harding was very selective in its review of potential manufacturers.  RPS was chosen as the fabricator for these booms based on our custom fabrication capabilities, quality control system, and technical expertise.  We have been supplying these booms to Schat - Harding since the 1980's.

The booms are manufactured under our certified ISO 9001 - 2000 Quality Control program.  RPS engineering collaborates with Schat - Harding to ensure the design and materials of construction for the booms remain "state of the art".  This attention to detail combined with our technical competence, quality control, and manufacturing and service capabilities has allowed RPS to become a global supplier of composite equipment.

RPS corrosion resistant composite equipment and pipe systems are in service in more than 35 countries on five continents.