The upgrades were necessitated by technological advancements that led to new automated platforms, meaning an upgrade was imperative. The new control rooms included the integration of modern console design, and best practices in ergonomics, acoustics, lighting and traffic flow.
Recently BAW was also contracted by ExxonMobil to create a corporate wide design guideline document for ExxonMobil’s offshore oil platforms globally. This intensive yearlong study involved research of industry standards, most notably NORSOK and involved benchmarking & requirements that apply to control room design. Internal ExxonMobil project teams consult the document we wrote on all projects—a Bible of control rooms best practices if you will—and it has therefore proven to be a very influential tool.
The relationship dates back even further, however, to 1997, when BAW was invited by Exxon, Chevron and Honeywell to become an Associate Member of the ASM® Consortium. Many presentations and much sharing of knowledge followed—in what had been a rather secretive industry—and in the process control room best practices were redefined. The result has been a quantum leap forward in safety and efficiency for control rooms worldwide.
