Working on vessels and offshore installations off Sabah and Labuan
Lifejackets, escape sets and gas detectors for vessels and port work, serviced by our own technicians.
TopBorneo supplies, rents and services the equipment the people on board work in.
That covers portable gas detection, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), escape sets (EEBD), harnesses and head protection, plus the servicing that keeps each item within its interval. Both TopBorneo offices are in Malaysia, so the servicing stays close to the vessel.
Vessels and port work
Why work with TopBorneo
Tell us the job, the site and the crew. We work out what fits instead of sending a catalogue back.
MSA, KStrong and Bullard straight from an official distributor, with lighter lines alongside them.
Gas detectors, breathing apparatus and cylinders are serviced by our own technicians.
The same people handle your enquiry, your order and your servicing.
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Open a section to read the detail behind it.
What the work needs
| The job | What the crew carries | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Tank, void or cofferdam entry | Multi-gas detector, escape set, tripod | confined space equipment |
| Engine room and pump room emergencies | SCBA, escape sets | respiratory protection |
| Working aloft or over the side | Harness, lanyard, anchorage | fall protection |
| Deck and quayside work | Helmet, eye protection, gloves | marine safety equipment |
| One term from that table | In plain words |
|---|---|
| Escape set, or EEBD | A small air supply worn to walk out of a smoke filled or airless space. It gets you out. It is not built to work in |
Gas testing before a tank entry
A cargo tank, a void space and a cofferdam are all confined spaces. Malaysia's Industry Code of Practice for Safe Working in a Confined Space 2010 requires an Authorised Gas Tester and Entry Supervisor, or AGTES. That person does the testing and supervises the entry, with a detector that is in calibration. TopBorneo supplies and calibrates the detector that person uses. The confined space entry guide sets out the steps.
Breathing sets and cylinders
An SCBA can carry a fault that nobody sees until someone needs it. TopBorneo services breathing sets and tests cylinders in its workshop. Cylinder intervals come from the cylinder maker, not from a single rule. See breathing apparatus servicing and cylinder hydrostatic testing. TopBorneo also rents breathing sets and escape sets, so the same equipment can be rented instead of bought. See safety equipment rental.
Why the two offices sit where they do
Labuan is the support base for the offshore fields in the South China Sea off the west coast of Sabah. Sapangar Bay near Kota Kinabalu is Sabah's main container port. Vessels and crews pass through both. See the page for the safety equipment supplier in Labuan.
Common questions
What does TopBorneo supply for marine work?
TopBorneo supplies portable gas detection, SCBA, escape sets, harnesses and lanyards, helmets, eye protection and gloves, plus calibration and servicing for the items that need it. This page covers the equipment the crew works in. If you need something that is not named here, put it in the enquiry anyway.
Can a gas detector be calibrated in Sabah?
Yes. TopBorneo calibrates portable gas detectors in its own workshop and returns each unit with a dated calibration certificate. MSA recommends a bump test before each day's use and calibration at a maximum interval of six months for standard XCell sensors.
Does a crew working aloft need fall protection?
Yes. Work aloft, over the side and around deck cranes needs a harness, a lanyard and an anchorage point that suits the structure. TopBorneo supplies fall protection and inspects it afterwards, and the result is written down item by item. Send the items you already have with your enquiry.
Can equipment be rented instead of bought?
Yes. TopBorneo rents gas detectors, breathing sets and escape sets alongside supply and servicing. That helps when your own sets are on the service bench, or when a job needs more units than the vessel carries. Send the models, the quantities and the dates you need them for.
Send your equipment list
Email your list, or the model and serial numbers of the items that need servicing, to crm@topborneo.com, or send it to the Labuan WhatsApp number. TopBorneo replies with what is available and what each item needs.