Maritime expertise when it matters most
Almost twenty years of expertise, international growth and support when it matters most
Next year, Offmain will mark an important milestone: 20 years of dedication to maritime safety, incident response and specialist support during complex incidents at sea. Over the past two decades, Offmain has developed from a specialised Dutch service provider into an internationally operating team of professionals supporting clients worldwide during incidents on board ships.
What Offmain has built over those years is more than a company. It is a team of specialists ready to respond when pressure is high, conditions are challenging and speed, technical expertise and operational experience make all the difference. From shipboard firefighting and fire investigation to gas measuring, safety consultancy and specialist support during maritime incidents, Offmain serves shipowners, insurers, terminals, emergency services, P&I clubs and other stakeholders across the maritime chain with one clear objective: to control risk, limit damage and safeguard people, vessels, cargo and the environment.
A company that has accelerated in recent years
In recent years, Offmain has experienced a period of significant growth. The company has expanded not only in visibility and international deployment, but above all in expertise, operational capacity and specialist manpower. Today, Offmain consists of a multidisciplinary team of over 20 professionals from the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Costa Rica (US) and the United Kingdom.
The team includes:
- fire experts
- fire team leaders
- investigators
- chemical advisors
- specialists in gas measuring and onboard safety
This growth reflects the changing reality of the maritime sector. Ships are becoming larger, cargoes more complex, and incidents increasingly require specialist knowledge that must be available immediately. Offmain has positioned itself exactly in that space: as a partner that not only advises, but also responds, supports and performs under pressure.
Specialist maritime services with global reach
Offmain supports clients with specialist services across the field of maritime safety and incident response. The company is well known for its 24/7 response capability, but its real strength lies in the combination of emergency support, technical expertise, investigation and consultancy.
Shipboard firefighting
When a fire breaks out on board a vessel, every minute counts. Offmain provides experienced specialists who can support firefighting operations, assess fire scenarios and help manage risks to crew, vessel, cargo and the surrounding environment.
Fire investigation and incident analysis
After an incident has been brought under control, understanding the cause, development and impact becomes essential. Offmain supports clients with specialist fire investigation, technical analysis and reporting, helping stakeholders gain a clear picture of what happened and what can be learned.
Gas measuring and atmospheric safety
Reliable gas detection is critical in tanks, enclosed spaces, cargo compartments and other hazardous onboard environments. Offmain supports clients in identifying, assessing and managing atmospheric risks on board.
Safety consultancy and specialist support
In addition to operational deployment, Offmain advises clients on safety-related issues, incident preparedness, risk assessments and complex situations where maritime experience and safety expertise must come together.
Involved in major international maritime incidents
In recent years, Offmain has been involved in several major maritime incidents that attracted international attention. These are precisely the situations where specialist incident response proves its value: when circumstances are complex, stakes are high and decisions must be made under pressure. Here are a few cases where Offmain was involved:
MT SOUNION – tanker fire in the Yemen region
A tanker casualty in a highly challenging geopolitical and operational environment requires experience, structure and specialist knowledge of fire scenarios at sea. Offmain’s involvement in MT SOUNION reflects the level at which the company operates: international, complex and high-pressure.
SOLONG – collision in the North Sea
The SOLONG casualty in the North Sea once again highlighted the importance of rapid specialist support in incidents where safety, damage control, investigation and coordination all come together. Such cases require people who understand both the maritime environment and the realities of crisis response.
WAN HAI 503 – container ship fire in the Sri Lanka / India region
Fires on board container vessels come with their own unique complexity: cargo-related hazards, prolonged firefighting operations, structural concerns and difficult operational decisions. Offmain’s involvement in WAN HAI 503 underlines its experience in incidents where firefighting, safety and maritime expertise are inseparable.
International cooperation as a foundation for growth
Today, Offmain is very much an international organisation. With professionals from multiple countries and short communication lines between teams, the company can mobilise quickly and work effectively across borders. That international structure not only strengthens operational capability, but also enhances knowledge sharing, local coordination and flexibility. In a sector where incidents rarely stop at national borders, that is a major advantage.
Coordinator Offmain Scandinavia: Lars Lundmark
“For more than 15 years, Offmain Sweden’s Salvage Response Team has been actively deployed in marine casualty incidents around the world, supporting salvage companies, shipowners and insurers during some of the most demanding maritime emergencies.
The team is built on operational experience gained through years of responding to real incidents involving vessel fires, hazardous cargoes, flooding, damage control challenges, confined spaces and complex salvage operations. This hands-on background means the team understands the realities of working onboard damaged vessels — often in remote locations, under significant time pressure and in close cooperation with salvage masters, vessel crews and other emergency response partners.
The strength of Offmain Sweden lies in its unique combination of maritime and emergency response expertise. Its personnel include former Naval Officers with extensive Damage Control backgrounds, maritime instructors from Chalmers University of Technology, firefighters and Incident Commanders from the Swedish Fire and Rescue Services, personnel from the Swedish Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG), and Fire Chiefs from the oil and energy industry.
This breadth of experience provides a depth of knowledge rarely found within a single response team. Offmain Sweden brings expertise not only in firefighting, but also in vessel construction, shipboard systems, emergency management, hazardous atmospheres, confined space operations, rope access and the practical challenges associated with marine salvage.
Over the years, the team has worked alongside salvage organisations on numerous incidents, integrating seamlessly into established command structures and providing professional support wherever required. Its experience enables the team to assess situations quickly, develop safe and effective tactical plans, manage operational risks and contribute to the successful resolution of complex casualties.
Offmain Sweden provides highly trained personnel for firefighting, fire watch duties, gas measurement and atmosphere monitoring, damage control support, confined space operations and emergency medical response. Because its personnel are experienced responders who routinely operate in high-risk environments, clients can be confident that critical decisions are supported by professionals who understand both the hazards and the operational objectives of a marine casualty response.”
Coordinator Offmain UK: Rob Dellow
“For almost two years, Offmain UK has been supplying specialist British firefighters to support Offmain’s international maritime response operations. In that time, a professional, highly capable and hard-working team has been built — one that can operate effectively in virtually any environment and under the demanding conditions that often accompany marine casualty response.
Offmain UK’s strength goes well beyond firefighting alone. The team brings together a broad range of complementary skills that add value to salvage companies, shipowners and insurers during complex maritime incidents. By combining currently serving firefighters with recently retired fire service professionals, Offmain UK ensures that its teams benefit both from up-to-date operational knowledge and from decades of practical experience in emergency response and incident command.
That blend of backgrounds creates a versatile and resilient response capability. Within the team are professionals with specialist expertise in marine engineering, fire investigation, confined space operations, rope access, HAZMAT response, trauma care and incident command. One team member, for example, worked as a Marine Engineer before joining the Fire Service and brings valuable expertise in maintaining and repairing maritime pumps — a significant asset when operating in remote or logistically challenging environments.
The team also includes qualified fire investigators, enabling Offmain UK personnel to consider the likely cause of a fire while firefighting operations are ongoing. This can provide an early indication to insurers where required, while also helping to preserve the scene, identify relevant evidence and capture photographs that may prove important during subsequent investigations.
Offmain UK personnel are experienced in confined space operations, both in terms of safe entry procedures and in carrying out search and recovery activities. The team also has strong rope access capability, allowing safe operations at height and the movement of equipment and personnel around vessels that may have suffered structural damage.
In addition, the team includes military veterans with experience working alongside Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialists during vessel searches for secondary devices. Offmain UK has operated in war zones and understands the heightened risks, security considerations and expectations of owners and insurers in these environments.
The team is also able to provide high-quality fire watch capability, using the same experienced responders who are involved in firefighting operations. This ensures that residual fire risk is managed professionally by trained personnel with a clear understanding of the vessel, the cargo and the wider incident context.
Offmain UK further strengthens its operational capability through HAZMAT expertise, allowing the team to assess the effects of fire and extinguishing media on cargo, conduct gas checks where required and operate safely on vessels carrying a wide range of cargo types. Its command structure closely follows the British Fire Service Incident Command System, enabling effective liaison with Salvage Masters, the development of tactical plans and the safe management of personnel involved in the incident response.
All team members are trained in trauma care, an essential capability when operating remotely or offshore, and have also received extensive training in hydraulic cutting equipment — skills that have already been used in practice, including the dismantling of vehicles aboard a car carrier following a serious onboard fire.”
More than emergency response alone
While Offmain is often visible during major incidents, its role goes far beyond the emergency phase itself. The company also supports clients in the preparation, assessment and aftermath of incidents. In doing so, Offmain contributes not only to incident control, but also to stronger safety awareness, risk management and informed decision-making across the maritime industry.
Offmain does not simply respond when something goes wrong — it also helps clients better understand risk, strengthen safety measures and translate lessons learned into practice.
20 years of Offmain: proud of the past, focused on the future
Twenty years of Offmain stand for professionalism, reliability and a strong reputation within the maritime sector. But above all, they stand for people — specialists willing to step in when the situation demands it, colleagues who bring knowledge and calm under pressure, and clients who know they can rely on a partner that understands the reality of maritime incidents.
With an international team, a strong foundation in firefighting, fire investigation, gas measuring and maritime safety, and a growing role in complex international casualties, Offmain looks to the future with confidence.
Looking ahead to the next 20 years
The ambition for the years ahead is clear: to continue investing in people, knowledge, international cooperation and specialist services for the maritime sector. So that Offmain can keep doing what it has stood for for almost two decades: being there when expertise makes the difference.
OFFMAIN
Maritime expertise when it matters most.