Environment guidelines for EER systems in ice-covered waters

The effects of ice and cold water environments on escape, evacuation, and rescue (EER) systems for offshore structures in ice-covered waters are discussed. The cold region environment influences all aspects of EER system design. Guidance is provided, for a wide range of ice and environmental conditions, on the factors that should be considered in developing an EER system for a structure that is to be operated in ice-covered waters. There is no one EER system that can reliably accommodate all of the requirements for safe evacuation from Arctic structures and several different systems may be required for year-round operation. Furthermore, the most suitable evacuation system will be different for different environmental conditions. Careful design, planning, training, and ongoing maintenance of the EER system are required for these harsh environmental conditions.