In early 2020 the OceanWise team was putting the final touches to an environmental monitoring system which was destined for Africa.
Despite mounting restrictions imposed amid the global Covid-19 pandemic, the team innovated using remote working to ensure delivery and installation of the all-important system, whilst maintaining high standards throughout.
The Aim
To improve monitoring of environmental conditions at a terminal and mooring buoy.
Data Requirement Operational safety and planning, and as input to potential development studies. The data must be reliable, accurate and accessible to operational personnel locally, other personnel nearby (including offshore) and to other offices around the world.
Parameters Required
• Wind
• Weather
• Tide
• Surge and water levels
• Currents
• Wave height, period and direction
Sensors and System
The system was designed by OceanWise specifically to meet the customer’s unique requirements.
It included in situ sensors from Valeport and Gill Instruments, the OceanWise modem (ip.buffer), and Port-Log (our online data collection, management and dissemination system).
The challenge
By March 2020, the sensors had been delivered to OceanWise, the system was built and we were ready to undertake a final configuration regarding cable run lengths and undertake a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT). The site survey, which usually requires at least one member of the OceanWise team to attend site, was now not possible due to Covid-19 restrictions in the UK and around the world.
Rather than cancel this important part of the project, we quickly realised that we were well set up already to work from home … could we do this work remotely?
A plan of work was prepared, including safety considerations, and the key outcomes that would have been the responsibility of the OceanWise engineer, had he (or she) been on site, were relayed to the customer’s operational personnel. Telecommunications between Africa and Hampshire were tested including video, which was essential to record all the usual aspects of a site visit. After a series of online meetings we were able to record the information required and direct onsite personnel accordingly – ultimately allowing us to complete a Site Survey Report in the normal way without leaving home!
