| Abstract | Hazards in offshore operation, such as gas leak, explosions, fires, collisions and icebergs, could result in emergencies that necessitate abandon of the platform. These emergencies could arise in calm water, during a storm or in pack ice. Therefore, evacuation system performance must be assessed in a wide range of weather conditions in wind, waves and ice. The focus in this report is lifeboat performance in pack ice. Lifeboats are often used as one of the secondary means of evacuation. In the east coast ofCanada and in different parts of the world, broken ice is a common occurrence. Pack icecan surround an offshore platform or a vessel. If abandonment of a platform or a vessel iswarranted, then the lifeboat may need to be able to travel through ice to a safe areabeyond the hazardous area boundary to escape dangers such as toxic fumes and smoke. There are many factors that affect TEMPSC performance in ice, including iceconcentration, ice thickness, ice strength, ice floe size etc. The speed and navigability ofthe craft are expected to deteriorate with worsened ice conditions. It is important in the evaluation of evacuation systems and in the preparation of anemergency preparedness plan that these factors are taken into account. Therefore, it isessential to investigate how lifeboat performance can be limited by different iceconditions. If the performance of lifeboats is inadequate for the expected operatingenvironmental conditions, consideration needs to be given to complement them withother means of evacuation. |
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