Transocean Ltd. has successfully deployed HaloGuard, the offshore drilling industry’s first safety system that integrates a wearable locating device with drill floor equipment and machine stoppage controls, the company said on Feb. 11. 

The HaloGuard system combines a wearable alarm and a real time location transmitter together with a machine vision system that is designed to track the position of personnel on the drill floor and key drill floor equipment while operating. When a crew member comes within a certain proximity of moving equipment, he or she is notified by an alarm through the wearable device. In the event the crew member remains in close proximity of the moving equipment, the system will stop the equipment from moving until the crew member returns to a safer, more distant position. By enabling machines with the technology to track, sense and, if needed, stop operations, HaloGuard provides an advanced layer of individual protection on the drill floor.

“We are extremely proud of our efforts to provide our crews with additional tools and resources to complement our industry-leading training and safety programs,” Jeremy Thigpen, Transocean president and CEO, said. “This deployment once again showcases Transocean’s ability to develop and advance innovation within offshore drilling. We believe HaloGuard will be a differentiating safety system that others will want to utilize within our industry and potentially within other industries as well.”

Transocean’s patented HaloGuard methodology and technology (Patent Nos. U.S. 10,402,662, U.S. 10,885,758 and patents pending) were developed with the assistance of Houston Mechatronics Inc. and Salunda Ltd., and incorporate Salunda’s patented CrewHawk real-time location technology. The HaloGuard system is now operational on the Deepwater Conqueror, which is working in the Gulf of Mexico.

Transocean plans to deploy the technology on six additional rigs by the end of 2021.