Dräger Marine & Offshore

Tell us a bit about your organisation… 

Dräger is a leading international company that manufactures medical and safety technology products to support hospitals, emergency services, mining, and marine industries. Our technology is used all over the world.

Founded in Lübeck in 1889, Dräger has more than 16,000 employees worldwide and operates in around 50 countries.

In Aberdeen, Dräger Marine & Offshore UK operates a dedicated facility with an OPITO-approved training centre and a workshop, where customers can hire, purchase and maintain Dräger products and have direct access to a team of Dräger experts.

We celebrated our 50th anniversary in Aberdeen in 2022 and furthered our commitment to the North East by expanding operations and investing £600,000 in a new training facility.

What is keeping you busy? 

Dräger has been providing complete safety solutions to the energy sector since oil first flowed from the North Sea and we’ve been serving customers in Aberdeen for more than 50 years.

We provide the equipment that companies need to carry out activities safely, from Dräger tubes for detecting benzene in vessels, to our range of respiratory protection devices including BA sets, Ventilation Vests and Air Line systems.

We provide flexible hire options for periods of high activity for protection and detection equipment, fire, rescue, safety and lifesaving products, as well as related services such as maintenance, repair, and training.

At any given time, we are managing safety projects in the North Sea, supporting operators in their work with potential hazardous environments, and leveraging our expertise to assist our customers work through a multitude of safety-related challenges.

What are some of the opportunities/challenges you see for your organisation in the future? 

At Dräger, our focus is firmly set on safety which means nearly every challenge we encounter is safety-related – but these challenges are also opportunities.

We have a long-established reputation for safety that makes Dräger a first choice for many organisations. When our name is displayed on the side of lifesaving safety equipment, whether it’s been purchased or leased, we need to confidently stand behind it.

To keep our place as a leader, Dräger is continuously keeping up to speed on key energy items like the transition to hydrogen, consulting with customers to better understand their changing needs, and supporting our people with the best information and training so they can share their expertise with customers – on-site or in our Aberdeen training facility.

How would you describe the company culture? Do you have any specific shared values? 

Every life is unique. At Dräger we are always working to protect, support and rescue lives. We are striving to turn technology into “Technology for Life”.

Our quality-management system is the foundation we rely on and everyone at Dräger takes responsibility for the safety of our products and services.

At its core, Dräger is still a family-run company, and we know how important it is to take responsibility for the future as well as the here and now – which why protecting the environment is a core element of our business.

We treat everyone with respect, we have zero tolerance for intolerance, and we do not compromise on the quality of our products or services.

As a SME/Medium/Large, how is OEUK membership helping your business? 

Being a part of OEUK has provided some great opportunities to make new industry contacts. I like how the organisation takes a proactive approach to networking and delivers great events for its members.

We attended the OEUK Decom Conference 2023 in St Andrews, and it was excellent. The organisers chose a great location for a unique and fun event, delivering a positive and rewarding experience. In fact, we’ve committed to attending all remaining OEUK events this year.

Which OEUK event did you most enjoy and why? 

The 2023 Decom Conference in St Andrews was compelling and valuable as a networking and learning opportunity.

We attended the HSE Conference 2024 in Aberdeen which was well-attended and certainly the most relevant for Dräger as leaders in health and safety equipment.

We also spent three days on-site for the Offshore Decommissioning Conference in November, which complimented the daytime business with social events each evening, offering more opportunities to meet with potential customers and partners.

What are the biggest Net-Zero changes you have seen in our industry? 

We are seeing large changes in hydrogen and carbon capture, which Dräger is already well-equipped to respond to.

We have always made hydrogen detection available to customers, but we have never seen a level of interest this high until last year.

How is your organisation driving the transition to Net-Zero? 

‘Dräger is focused on reinforcing our core strengths, which have consistently delivered outstanding results in the oil and gas industry, while also expanding and adapting our solutions to meet new technological and market requirements brought by the evolving energy landscape.

Our safety solutions are as relevant for traditional oil and gas production as they are for newer methods of energy production, and we are proud to be supporting those who pioneer these new approaches.

We have invested in a new, larger base of operations and invested in people, bringing on Megan Hine to assist with business development for fixed gas detection systems.

We are here for the long term to support ongoing opportunities for customers when decommissioning and their transition to renewable energy.

Dräger’s commitment to Aberdeen’s future is plain for all to see and I’m proud to be part of it.

How do you see the industry looking in 20 years? 

I’ve been fortunate to have a front row seat for so much change already and how much the industry differs today to where it was even 10 years ago.

I’m certain that even as new sources of energy emerge, hazards will remain, and safety will still be a key priority for organisations – no matter what kind.

The key to success will be in adapting to, assessing and understanding new risks and finding ways to mitigate those risks in the best way possible.

Find out more: https://www.draeger.com/