Discussing high-speed boats & related impact injuries
The 9th HSBO forum will be held in June 2018 in Göteborg, Sweden to discuss high-speed boats and related impact injuries. The High Speed Boat Operations (HSBO) forum was held for the first time in 2003, in Göteborg, Sweden, in response to a need for pioneering research and development in relation to the prevention of injuries caused by hull-slamming impacts on high-speed boats (HSB).
At the time, 14 experts from Sweden, Norway, Germany and the UK came together to discuss these issues and evaluate a model HSB with steering/control system and suspension seat prototypes, both developed to enhance boat control and reduce risks of injury. On the basis of that model, the UK Ministry of Defence chose those seats as the standard for UK Special Forces’ Offshore Raiding Craft, of which 40 were initially projected and more are still being built. Since they have been in service, no impact-induced injuries have been reported on these boats.
As more agencies around the world realised that slamming forces cause injuries and impair operators’ performance, demands for information about new HSBs and related technologies grew, leading to another HSBO forum being organised in 2006. Since 2010, the forum has been held biannually in Göteborg.
The 9th HSBO forum will be held on 5-7 June 2018, attracting experts from 30 countries to share experiences and knowledge in understanding the physical challenges, as well as the biomechanics and injury mechanisms, necessary to analyse and solve the issues at stake. More than 30 HSB, built for professional operations, will be available for full-speed sea trialling, while operators, heads of agencies, scientists, naval architects, medical professionals, and boat buildings as well as purchasing officials will offer nearly 50 presentations of 15 minutes each.
Over time, the HSBO forum has become more focused on Special Operations and Sea Rescue. “This is quite natural,” says Carl Magnus Ullman, Event General Manager, “those who do not have the option to stay on land or turn around when the going gets tough have the urge and the need to stay updated on new routines and technologies, developed to help them carry out their missions and still stay safe and healthy. These guys also have a duty to look after themselves and each other to stay operative.”
“What I believe makes HSBO important is the unique combination of competences, the focus on practical solutions and the fact that most agencies planning to buy advanced HSBs send their requirement experts,” concluds Ullman. HSBO is a non-profit, by invitation-only event that, for logistical constraints, is limited to short of 300 delegates.
For more information on the event and how to request an invitation, see here.
