To provide comprehensive passenger protection you first have to understand the risks. This is where Reflex began the design process

Any activity involving the movement of personnel should be treated as a high risk activity.  It is with this attitude that Reflex Marine approached the design of an all new personnel transfer device to aid the offshore Oil & Gas industry.  The FROG was introduced in 1999 and has led a revolution in crane transfer safety.

After reviewing a database of traditional rope basket incidents Reflex Marine outlined 4 main risks when carrying out personnel transfers by crane.  The FROG was then designed to combat these risks and provide the safest means of moving personnel by crane. 

The following sections describe the risks and how the FROG is engineered to protect its passengers:

With over fifty percent of the transfer incidents involving falling, it was clear that passenger fall-restraints were a design essential.

Fall protection in the FROG is provided by four-point seat harnesses with quick release buckles, as used in free fall life rafts. These allow rapid egress and prevent the passengers from being dislodged in case of collisions.

A protective shell to absorb side impacts was also considered essential and the FROG's tetrahedral stainless steel frame fulfils this design requirement.  The frame was subjected to horizontal impact testing and survived impacts against a container at 6.6ft/sec.  Finite element analysis was used to verify the inherent strength of the tetrahedral structure.

Additionally, in order to assess risks to passengers durig high speed collitions, a detailed biomechanical assessment was carried out by the independent research authority MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association).  This confirmed the capsule provided good protection against neck and back injuries due to heavy landings and whiplash (from lateral impacts).

The spring loaded seat base and shock-absorbing landing feet provide protection against heavy landings (in harsh weather).  Drop tests to the maximum anticipated landing speed, 13.1 ft/sec, confirmed the engineering design and deceleration loads were analysed by MIRA, who confirmed that the capsule provided excellent potection against back injury even in the heaviest of landings.

Although immersion is a lesser risk the consequences of accidental immersion can be serious.  The capsule is the only transfer device designed to float and self-right.  Extensive testing in a wave simulation pool, in conditions equivalent to Beaufort 6, was conducted to verify the performance.