Business is booming for UK-headquartered diving company Atlas Marine. So much so that it has recently opened new offices as far afield as Dorset and Qatar. Michael Cocks reports

I have spent much of the last five years visiting overseas training schools. At the same time I have watched with interest the increasing number of British diving companies working outside the United Kingdom. These have included Northern Divers in Russia, Reach Engineering in Libya, and BCD Marine in Nigeria.

After a number of overseas contracts, Edinburgh, Scotland-headquartered Atlas Marine has now opened an office in Qatar. As Atlas was one of the first companies that I dived with, I thought it time that I revisited it and I was fortunate enough to be invited out into the North Sea to look at one of the largest “onshore” diving operations being carried out for Conoco – I say onshore because, as it was slightly less than 12 miles off the coast, sadly the divers did not qualify for North Sea wage rates.

During my visit I also witnessed some of the Atlas divers being taught underwater welding by Hydroweld, UK, and saw the training later put into practice at Montrose Harbour

Started out

I had first met Warren Flower, Atlas Marine’s managing director, in 1989. Prior to qualifying as a commercial diver, I did an acquaint dive in the salubrious Leith Docks in Edinburgh where Warren was a contracts manager for Leith Marine. In 1994, after the Leith Marine managing director had retired, Warren started out on his own with a bank loan and a determination to build up one of the largest diving companies in the UK.

I subsequently dived with his company a number of times on the Skye Bridge job and later on the 90-diver strong London Charing Cross contract, where divers were reinforcing the tunnel under the River Thames for the Northern and Bakerloo tube lines in very difficult diving conditions.

Atlas now has an annual turnover approaching GB£4 million. It currently has 24 divers working on the sea outfall at Sellafield, Britain’s largest nuclear power plant,  and has a number of other significant diving jobs. It operates from a new purpose built complex in Leith Docks, managed by the unflappable Terry Glyn and the redoubtable Betty Devlin, along with an ever-watchful maintenance manager, John Woodward.

John has recently been joined by Eddie Amaira. Together they ensure the large amount of diving plant and equipment (with 11 independent diving systems) is maintained to an extremely high standard.

Twelve supervisors and divers, led by Joe Prill, the vastly experienced operations director, have permanent jobs with Atlas.

Atlas’ job with Conoco was to reinforce a pipeline laid down more than 30 years previously. The job employed 41 experienced divers, working in difficult conditions. The depth of the dive was about 25 metres and, depending on conditions, the divers stayed down for 50 minutes, with 40 minutes spent decompressing. There was no unseemly rush to get into the chamber as Atlas adopted the Canadian seven-minute time allowance.

Because of its complexity, the highly qualified supervisors on this job did not dive. The most modern diving equipment, including the Kirby Morgan 37, was used; regular briefings took place; and there was always a daily tool-box talk.

Among other safety factors on the job which should be applauded was Atlas’ close consultation with the Health and Safety Executive and the Association of Diving Contractors.

The company came up with a novel way of protecting the divers from the tide – they worked in a large purpose built habitat, with an opening at the top. The tide in the Humber can run up to 3.7 knots but the divers only dive to a maximum of 1.2 knots. With a tide of up to one knot, one diver was sent down in a cage. Greater speeds required the use of a wet bell system, with one diver working and another tending. Each diver was fitted with a transponder, attached to his back, so that the supervisor could see exactly where the diver was. Also on the diver’s back was a separate cylinder to supply his suit inflation.

All in all, it seemed to me that Atlas was running the job to North Sea standards.

Improve

Atlas has recently built a ten-foot (three-metre) deep tank on its site, in which it will help divers improve their cutting and welding techniques. On my visit to Atlas I met Phil Boulter from Hydroweld, who had been asked to provide a short training and assessment course for nine potential wet welders. The successful welder divers were certified to the AWS D3.6M: 1999 Specification for Underwater Welding, which will qualify them to work on three welding projects Atlas is to undertake.

Hydroweld provides wet welder training programmes in various locations around the world and is regarded as an international world leader in the field.

Clients, one of whom visited the training session, are increasingly insisting that divers are fully competent to undertake the work. This is a training initiative taken by Atlas that I warmly welcome.

Just before Christmas I visited Montrose Harbour to see Atlas divers, under the supervision of Cameron Coles, strengthening and protecting the harbour wall by fixing plates and anodes. The diver entered the water in and worked from a cage, positioned by a crawler crane. The crane was operated by a diver trained to do so, which is cheaper than having a dedicated crane driver.

There was also the option of getting the diver out of the water using an electric-winch A-frame which was on hand. The winch was being used to send materials down to the diver and could bear a weight of 360 kilograms.

I have argued long and hard that a diver should not be expected to jump into the water and then climb out up a ladder – sometimes, as in the Bristol Channel for example, a very long climb. I am pleased that the HSE has visited the site and has been impressed by these diver safety features. 

Atlas has recently opened an office in Dorset, which is run by Andy Hollick. Andy is assisted by Tony Wheatley. Both are extremely experienced divers with whom I have had the pleasure of diving.

Service

The Dorset office will service diving work in England south of the Wash and in Wales. It is shortly to receive ISO 9002 and ISO 1800 (primarily concerned with health and safety) certification – the first UK inshore company to do so.

In recent years, Atlas has worked in Spain, Gibraltar, Singapore and India. In July 2005 it opened an office in Qatar, from which it will carry out work in the Middle East. This overseas expansion will ensure that Atlas is able to keep a team of well-qualified divers fully employed and enable the company to pay above average wages.

The Conoco job is another example of the varied work commercial divers carry out, often in very difficult conditions. I still believe inland divers are under-paid and often unappreciated. This is one reason why I like to dive, so that I can put into words how difficult and tiring it is to work underwater.

Warren hopes that by working closely with Roger O’Kane of the ADC that he will be able to help wages and safety improve further. I have always been made welcome by Atlas and its divers, who often get amusement from my diving efforts, particularly at welding. I hope that I will be able to catch up with the work of other UK commercial diving companies in 2006 and beyond.

• Details – Warren Flower, Atlas Marine Contractors Ltd, Imperial Dock Road, Leith Docks, Edinburgh EH6 7DR, UK, tel: +44 (0)131 555 6030.

Andy Hollick, Southern Office: 1st Floor, Hambleton, High Street, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4QT, UK, tel: +44 (0)1747 835 655.

© 2006 Underwater World Publications Ltd.