Dräger Marine & Offshore, a subsidiary of Dräger, an international leader in medical and safety technology, is now offering customers easy access to safer offshore operations after joining forces with specialist integrated electrical engineering and distribution company, Dron & Dickson
The collaboration means that they are now certified to service and maintain its fire and gas detection products and systems.
Many offshore operators are unaware they must ensure their equipment is serviced by suitably competent technicians, with failure to do so resulting in the service being invalidated, potentially leading to action from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).
This partnership – which is understood to be the first of its kind in the sector – entails customers now have easy access to more fully certified technicians to service and maintain their essential fire and gas detection systems.
Megan Hine, account manager, Fixed Gas Detection Systems at Dräger, said, “There is often a lack of understanding when it comes to the level of care and maintenance these systems require, and we have found on occasion that maintenance has been neglected, leading to systems not performing as we would like.
“Given Dron & Dickson’s significant experience in regularly inspecting equipment in line with operators’ inspection strategies, and the high quality of training required to inspect Dräger gas detectors, it makes sense to combine the expertise of both organisations.
“Not only does this enhance the offering from both companies, but it also means we are saving operators time as they don’t have instrument technicians waiting on scaffolding arriving and being erected before they can conduct an inspection, regardless of whether it is planned or not.
“While freeing up core crew time to carry out other valuable work, having rope access technicians who are Dräger qualified, offers operators an opportunity to reduce multiple visits to the same equipment, reducing upfront and ongoing costs.”
As well as improving the offer for operators, Hine believes agreements like this with Dron & Dickson shows how supply chain companies can work together to the benefit of all.
“We are seeing more and more organisations collaborate and this is something that is only going to continue as the industry continues to evolve. Through the Dräger PartnerCare, we offer the correct training and support to give our customers’ engineers the understanding and confidence required to service our devices, and we are looking forward to working with Dron & Dickson to develop this further,” she continued.
Jim Cooper, Dron & Dickson technical and development manager, said, “Both companies are acknowledged as market leaders, and by combining that experience and expertise, it will bring benefits to customers of both organisations. In addition, this agreement will help our clients realise tangible technical and commercial benefits by consolidating a number of specialist services.”
The news comes at an exciting time for Dräger Marine & Offshore, who recently invested millions of pounds in a new base at ABZ Business Park in Dyce, which is home to training facilities including confined space entry and working at height facilities, training courses including Authorised Gas Tester, BA wearer and maintenance training and a service and maintenance centre.
