Van Oord announced that it has received the IADC Safety Award 2025 during the Annual General Meeting of the International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC) in Stockholm, Sweden.
The award was given for a redesigned gasket that reduces the risk of finger injuries when connecting the flanges of steel reclamation pipes. Traditional gaskets require workers to hold them in place during sealing, exposing hands to potential injuries.
Van Oord’s new gasket includes “ears,” which allow personnel to keep fingers further away from the flanges during assembly.
Each 12-metre section of reclamation pipe requires a gasket, and with kilometres of such pipes connected annually worldwide, the redesign can significantly reduce risks for workers.
According to René Kolman, Secretary General of IADC, “This solution may sound simple at first, but the impact is significant. With up to kilometres of pipes requiring assembly every day on projects across the globe, elegant solutions like the Van Oord gasket design can really make a difference. With this design, Van Oord hope that they and other companies can avoid cases of serious injury and at the same time cut down on lost work time.”
The design can be implemented easily and cost-effectively by other dredging companies.
Van Oord is a Dutch family-owned international marine contractor with headquarters in Rotterdam. It operates in dredging, offshore wind, and marine infrastructure projects, and is structured as a private limited company under Dutch law.
International Association of Dredging Companies (IADC) is a global trade association representing the private dredging industry. It is a non-profit organisation registered in the Netherlands, bringing together major international contractors active in dredging and maritime construction.
Source: Port News
