The highly coveted American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Certificate of Design Assessment has been awarded to Scottish company, Outreach Ltd for its OSB250 Offshore Access System.

Outreach is the first UK company and only the third globally to achieve ABS accreditation for this product category.

Designed and built specifically to meet the oil industry's technical requirements for safety and environmental operation, the OSB250 Offshore Access system is used on Fixed Platforms, Semisubmersibles, Jack-ups and Drillships to service production and maintenance activities. It can provide access to areas that would otherwise require the use of scaffolding or abseilers. The system is currently in use in the North Sea, the Middle East, the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, West Africa and Singapore.


Derek Payne, managing director for operations at Outreach said: "We are all very proud of this fantastic achievement and believe it adds to the growing reputation of our Offshore Access Systems as easy to operate, safe, reliable and easy to maintain. We also believe that the ABS certification significantly strengthens our response to a growing number of enquiries from the Gulf of Mexico and South America."

As well as supplying access and pipehandling systems to the oil and gas sector, Falkirk based Outreach Ltd supplies hydraulic loading cranes and handling equipment to a wide range of other industries including marine, transport, construction, utilities and local authorities. The company offers a single door sales, design and installation service with back up including spares, repairs, servicing and training.

Offering more than forty years industry experience, Outreach was the subject of a management buyout in 2005, when directors Gary Potts and Derek Payne acquired the business from its previous owners.

(GK/JM)