Partnership with the Mauritian group Taylor Smith, establishment in Mayotte : the Réunion maritime and underwater works company is reaping the benefits of a reputation for reliability which now extends well beyond Réunion. Its ambition is to become the regional leader in its specialty.
Character from modern mythology, the diver certainly has, in our time, lost its prestige, but it gained in usefulness as ports and underwater works multiplied : in a word, it is more necessary than ever. This is the profession of hyperbaric work which requires breathing compressed air. Underwater works and tunnel boring works (dry hyperbaria) in underground environment. This profession is very present in Reunion where it is part of the life of the port. Founded and led by Axel Fernandez, Ocetra Indian Ocean is the most important company in the specialty. She employed up to 37 divers simultaneously ! Between storage of materials, maintenance workshops and offices, it occupies an entire quay of the West Port. It is capable of mobilizing very diverse equipment to which are added its surface supports, barges and ships. In 2019, Ocetra Indian Ocean has joined the French group ETPO, one of the main French players in maritime and underwater works. This shows the importance of this actor and the wide range of its services between “external controls, advice in maritime and underwater works, urgent and specific interventions, river works, port and industrial »
Ocetra Indian Ocean on and under water
As an example of the specificity of the work carried out by divers, Axel Fernandez cites the installation of the piles of the New Coastal Route viaduct. “Our divers filmed the installation of each pile on the seabed. They were the eyes of the construction engineers who were on the barge. » Ocetra Indian Ocean divers have set up FADs for coastal fishermen. And its divers installed and maintain the long pipeline discharging into the sea, several hundred meters from the shore of Saint-Benoît, organic residues from the Rivière du Mât Distillery. External control of boat hulls is another skill of divers. These are just some of the many missions already carried out by the company, with a nice list of references. Currently, Ocetra Indian Ocean removes sand from the port of Sainte-Marie.
Versatility as a rule
If the Class 2A certificate requires eight weeks of training, it is under water that the experience of underwater work is acquired. Only very technical missions, welding or cutting of metal parts for example, require the use of a specialized external diver. However, the job requires you to quickly understand the tasks to be performed. “It requires a great ability to adapt. Each mission is different” underlines Axel Fernandez. Practicing other professions then becomes an asset for understanding this diversity.. So one of the Ocetra Indian Ocean divers is a teacher. The director of the company’s brand new Mahorais agency is a carpenter. " Myself, I was a cook before becoming a diver” recalls Axel Fernandez who learned the trade with his father, then took over and developed the family business from 2013.
Ocetra Indian Ocean in Mauritius and Mayotte
“Our goal is ambitious, but displayed and achievable : it is to become the regional leader in maritime and underwater works” declares Axel Fernandez. Ocetra Indian Ocean has started to tick the boxes leading to the success of this project. The company has just created a subsidiary in Mayotte where it is setting up the scaffolding for the port quay renovation project.. It sets up in Mauritius in partnership with the Mauritian group Taylor Smith, construction player, port logistics and maritime services, which opens up new horizons and wider recognition for him. By choosing Ocetra Indian Ocean, Taylor Smith names the company it considers the best in the region to meet its marine and underwater work needs. In summary, Ocetra Indian Ocean will support the development of the Mauritian group which, him too, has ambitions in the region (see Leader Meeting No. 210).
Safety and respect for the environment
“Each mission requires proposing a methodology of action” observes Axel Fernandez. In this methodology, the safety of the diver is the first condition. And particularly for hyperbaric work requiring the wearing of a helmet in deep water. Compressed air management is done from the surface. The diver is connected to the compressor by a set of cables, called the hookah, also including radio and video links. A backpack oxygen bottle provides additional security. “The diver must only worry about his work. Security issues should not disturb him. We are in permanent communication with him” insists Axel Fernandez. In all cases, maintenance, verification and preparation of materials must be flawless. Finally, underwater work integrates the constraints of respect for the marine environment. On this dual level of safety and the environment, Ocetra Indian Ocean vise l’excellence : in addition to its PRO PPS 051 hyperbaric certificate for underwater work, la certification IWS Bureau Veritas marine & offshore and Lloyd’s Register are international reference certifications in shipbuilding and inspection of ships and offshore structures. The company has ISO 45001 (management of health and safety at work). It is committed to an important environmental charter as well as an ethical charter of corporate social responsibility. (RSE).
