The pioneering work of Professor Michael Baker of the University of Aberdeen's Safety Engineering Unit has been recognised by the international Offshore Energy Centre at a recent award ceremony in Houston, Texas.
Professor Baker holds the University of Aberdeen Chair of Safety Engineering and was last week presented with a 2002 Technology Pioneer Award for his work in the reliability-based design and assessment of offshore and marine structures. This is the fifth year in which the Offshore Centre has recognised the pioneering work of individuals who have made a major contribution to the offshore oil and gas industry. The event was commemorated at a ceremony in Houston, Texas on Saturday September 21, 2002 and by the unveiling of a plaque aboard the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum at Galveston on the Gulf of Mexico
Professor Baker said: "I am highly honoured to have been included amongst the Technology Pioneers for 2002. The reliability-based approach to the design and assessment is now playing a significant role in setting safety standards for design codes and is a logical way of balancing economic design with the need for safety and reliability in service."