Oil & Gas UK News: Health & Safety and Supply Chain CoP
Trade body Oil & Gas UK have released two new reports. The first is the annual Oil & Gas UK Health and Safety Report 2014 which covers: A detailed summary of the UK offshore oil and gas industry’s safety performance An overview of the safety-related projects being carried out across the industry An explanation of how the safety agenda is being effectively managed by Oil & Gas UK and its members As well as discussing the events to mark the 25th Anniversary of Piper Alpha and the European Union (EU) Directive on offshore safety, the report says the following on helicopter safety: Aviation matters, again, dominated the industry’s safety agenda in 2013. The year started with the continued suspension of EC225 helicopter flight operations following the ditchings on the UK Continental Shelf in 2012. Flights began to be reinstated during quarter four 2013 following forensically detailed investigation and remedial work to provide the necessary safety assurances. However, on 23 August 2013, a Eurocopter Super Puma L2 crashed on approach to Sumburgh Airport with the tragic loss of four lives. That incident led to an initial, voluntary, temporary suspension of all Super Puma helicopter flights until it became clear that there had not been a technical failure. The Air Accident Investigation Branch’s inquiry into this event is still ongoing. This fatal accident, combined with other recent incidents, prompted reviews of UK offshore aviation safety by various bodies, including the Helicopter Safety Steering Group, the Parliamentary Transport Select Committee and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA published its report CAP 1145 in February 2014, setting out a number of recommendations and required actions designed to improve offshore helicopter transportation safety. Many of the actions will have far-reaching implications for the industry and are now the subject of significant attention and effort to ensure compliance. This free report is available here: http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/publications/viewpub.cfm?frmPubID=823 Oil & Gas UK monitors progress regarding implementation of the Supply Chain Code of Practice on an annual basis by means of a compliance survey. This free survey is available here: http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/publications/viewpub.cfm?frmPubID=821 Follow us on LinkedIn for our latest...
read moreSafety Management International Collaboration Group Industry Day
Safety Management International Collaboration Group Industry Day The Safety Management International Collaboration Group (SM ICG) held its fourth Industry Day with representatives from 27 European aviation industry organizations on 16 May 2014 in Bern, Switzerland. The SMICG is a group of 14 aviation regulatory bodies, formed in 2009 to promote a common understanding of safety management principles and requirements, facilitating their application across the international aviation community. The speakers at the fourth Industry Day were: Rainer Lindau, Vice President Quality Management, Lufthansa Technik (Sustainable Implementation of Safety Management) David Lambourne, Specialist Airworthiness Engineer, Rolls-Royce plc (Safety Risk Management – Challenges in a Multi-Sector Business) Bartolomeo Ferreri, Captain and Safety Officer, INAER (Setup of an Integrated SMS in the Experience of a Helicopter Operator: Tools for Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Internal Investigation of Events) Paper not online Yvan Boishu, Flight Safety Risk Manager, Air France (SMS and Risk Assessment Automation) Captain Martin Timmons, Technical Manager – Safety, Ryanair (Ryanair’s Perspective on Effective Safety Risk Management) Captain Kemal Helvacıoğlu, Vice President Safety (SMS)/Quality and Compliance, Pegasus Airlines (Risk Based Approach to Management System) Antonio Härry, Head of Quality and Safety, SR Technics (Practical Application of Safety Risk Management at SR Technics) Details of previous events in 2013 can be found here: Industry Day in The Hague, Netherlands – April 19, 2013 Industry Day in Seattle, Washington – October 25, 2013 UPDATE January 2015: First SMICG ‘Industry Day’ Outreach Event Held in South America The SMICG held its fifth Industry Day with representatives from 15 South and Central American aviation industry organizations and one European company on 12 December 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The materials from this session are linked below: Full Industry Day Article Briefing Abstracts and Presenter Biographies SM ICG Overview Presentation by Simon Roberts (UK CAA) SMS: How to Engage in All Levels by Wagner Flores (Helibrás a subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters) Embraer Experience With SMS Implementation by Fábio Catani (Embraer) Airlines Approach to Implementing an Effective SMS by Hector Hidalgo Medellin (Avianca) Integrated Safety and Security Assurance by Daniel Guillaumon (TAM Airlines) Safety Management System – Challenges and Perspectives – GRU Airport by Marcos Eugenio de Abreu (Guarulhos Airport) SMS Implementation at GOL by Captain Dan Guzzo Comite (GOL Airlines) Strategic Risk Management Using Bow-Tie Risk Models by Yvan Boishu (Air France) A380 at Farnborough (Credit: Andy Evans) UPDATE August 2015: Sixth SMICG ‘Industry Day’ in Cologne The SMICG held its sixth Industry Day on 22 May 2015 at EASA in Cologne with representatives from 41 organisations. Jean-Marc Cluzeau from the Strategy and Safety Management Directorate at EASA welcomed participants saying: Safety promotion and training are key issues and we are working on these…We are eager to work with [industry] and learn from your safety management experience from the field. We know you will continue to inspire use on this SMS journey. The materials from this session are linked below: Briefing Abstracts and Presenter Biographies How SM ICG Materials Can Be Used/Integrated into an Airline’s SMS Operation by Pascal Kremer (Luxair) SMS Training-Operator’s Challenges by Giancarlo Buono (IATA) Delivering SMS Training in an MRO Organization by Jorge Leite (TAP Maintenance and Engineering) SMS Training at Transavia by Richard Hol (Transavia) Corporate Strategy to Define Competences & Appropriate Trainings by Doctor Claire Pélegrin (Airbus Product Safety) SMS Training, Airbus Helicopters’ Approach by Patrick Pezzatini (Airbus Helicopters)...
read moreHelitech International 2014 Education Programme Announced
Helitech International 2014 will present an extensive Education Programme across three days of Europe’s largest helicopter show which will take place in Amsterdam from 14 – 16 October 2014. This will be Helitech’s first outing in the Dutch capital. Supported by the European Helicopter Association (EHA), Helitech International will stage a comprehensive programme covering topics affecting the rotorcraft industry including a Business and Strategy Conference, Air Traffic Management developments, Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) / Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) and safety. The Safety Workshop will be presented by the European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) and the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST). For details see: http://www.helitechevents.com/en/Media–PR/Press-Releases/Helitech-International-2014-to-showcase-extensive-Education-Programme-/ Follow us on LinkedIn for our latest...
read moreSize Isn’t Everything
Size Isn’t Everything The day after the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) CAP1145 report on North Sea helicopter safety was published, the Aberdeen Press & Journal focused on one controversial action with the front page headline ‘If you are too fat you won’t fly’! But when it comes to escaping from a submerged helicopter through the push out windows, it seems size really isn’t everything. The CAA action that grabbed the headlines was the prohibition of passengers ‘whose body size, including the required safety and survival equipment, is incompatible with push-out window emergency exit size’ from April 2015 (CAP1145 Action 9) and was the subject of a presentation at a recent seminar (discussed by Aerossurance here). Oil & Gas UK had already initiated an offshore workforce ‘Size and Shape’ study by Robert Gordon University (RGU) in 2011. The study was designed to support a range of health, safety and ergonomic studies, scanning a target of 600 volunteers. So far 450 people have been scanned with 150 more volunteers being sought in further testing in June 2014 in Aberdeen and Norwich. Measurement to date has confirmed a 19% increase in average weight of the offshore population since a 1985 study, by Robert Gordon Institute of Technology (the forerunner of RGU). The new RGU study was not just about weight though and also looked at body dimensions with and without survival equipment using modern 3D scanning technology. It was found that the full suite of survival equipment increases the body volume by an average of over 70%. The RGU study received close attention from a new Oil and Gas UK working group tasked with assessing emergency egress and the practical implications of any type of passenger ‘body size’ limitations. Early work suggests that’s the ability to egress is not simply a matter of waist size as the press headlines may have suggested. It is possible that some board shouldered body builders may have as much difficultly as the most ‘portly’ of passengers. As part of the working group’s activities the size of push-out window apertures across all in-service types are being physically measured by joint industry / CAA team, to create a central repository of this data. Another goal for this working group is to achieve an industry wide ‘clothing policy’ on the number and type of layers of clothing worn under the survival suit. Currently there are variations between different oil companies and whereas multiple layers give valuable insulation after an escape, they could hinder an escape for some. The working group aims to make recommendations in October 2014. UPDATES Other legal complexities emerged in August 2014: Overweight workers could cost offshore industry Oil & Gas UK are staged a briefing on 26 August 2014: Recipe for a Healthy Workforce Oil & Gas UK produce this annual report: Offshore Workforce Demographics UPDATE 2 September 2014: The Helicopter Safety Steering Group (HSSG) has confirmed that: The RGU Size and Shape Study is complete. The Workgroup has decided that passengers will be measured by the width of their shoulders, not by BMI or weight. Details are to be announced of a new Standard Clothing Policy that will be introduced on 1 October 2014. UPDATE 10 September 2014: The new clothing policy is described here. UPDATE 6 October 2014: Helicopter safety: It’s your frame size that matters . . . broadly speaking This article describes the concept of...
read moreOffshore Industry Improving Aviation Resilience
In a session entitled “Resilience, helicopters and the challenge of transferring the workforce offshore” at Oil & Gas UK‘s first Annual Conference, attendees heard that the industry is now better prepared for major disruption. Past disruptions have included: The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull (aka ‘E15’) volcanic eruption in Iceland and the resulting volcanic ash fall out Two ditchings in 2012 due to a common airworthiness issue and the subsequent aircraft restrictions & unavailability (the subject of a recent AAIB report, discussed by Aerossurance previously). Paul de Leeuw, head of Oil & Gas UK’s resilience planning taskforce said: We have made some really good progress. We have a really good fact base established for the North Sea – we know how many people are flying, where they are flying from. The insight is really helpful. In the UK Sector their are typically 16,000 people offshore at anyone time across 149 manned installations. A population of around 57,000 people travelled offshore last year with 900,000 outbound/inbound people movements and 96,000 helicopter flights. The task force has also agreed a priority order for recovering workers stranded in the case that helicopters are limited in their ability to fly out to retrieve them. A number of innovative marine solutions for transporting workers offshore are being evaluated (see the Step Change in Safety‘s Marine Transfer Workgroup), such as ‘walk to work’ technology (as used, for example, by Chevron to support an upgrade programme on the Captain FPSO, as shown here). Marine assets were also used for a small period after the loss of an S-92A in Canada in 2009. However, de Leuuw added, there will “never be a replacement for helicopters”. Duncan Trapp, vice president of safety at CHC Helicopter explained that time and effort spent in coordination between air operators and their clients, particularly through bodies such as Helicopter Safety Steering Group (HSSG) in the UK Sector, was vital in minimising impact of events affecting aviation. One recent example of such cooperation was the work with Oil & Gas UK to understand the operational impact of the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) proposed, but now abandoned, seating restriction that emerged from the CAA Review, and their CAP1145 report issued in February 2014. Les Linklater, team leader for Step Change in Safety group said that HSSG had been temporarily become ineffective as membership swelled to 60. Part of this really indicated the desire for information across multiple shareholders but made decision making more difficult. Consequently there has been a refocus to a smaller, senior membership. In relation to improving safety, Trapp highlighted the Joint Operators Review currently underway by the three main helicopter groups (CHC, Bristow and Avincis): We need to overcome the traditional discomfort of sharing openly the status of business and the fear of competitive one-upmanship. Major incidents are not the time to make financial gain or be clever or in the commercial department. Those are the times to truly get around the table and cooperate. Trapp also explained how a new international trade body was being created for offshore helicopter operators. The value of close cooperation and coordination is also demonstrated by the rapid progress being made with the design and introduction of Class A Emergency Breathing systems (as discussed by Aerossurance previously). While the papers from this session are not currently on the Oil & Gas UK site, Linklater and Trapp did present at the Oil & Gas UK Aviation...
read moreEHOC to Become HeliOffshore
EHOC to Become HeliOffshore It has been announced that the trade body, the European Helicopter Operators’ Committee (EHOC), is to become HeliOffshore, with an international membership: http://www.energyvoice.com/2014/06/helicopter-operators-fund-new-international-trade-body-safety/ One advantage of this change is an improvement in safety communication between operators globally. This was a point that emerged from the Joint Operators Review currently underway. Some results of the JOR have been presented recently to the Oil & Gas UK Aviation Seminar (discussed by Aerossurance here). UPDATE 26 September 2014: Flight International‘s Dominic Perry has filed this story: Five of the world’s biggest offshore helicopter operators are to join forces in a new safety initiative to share best practice throughout the industry. To be based in London, Hel Offshore’s board will comprise executives from . It will be led by Gretchen Haskins, an expert in human factors and a former safety director and board member at the UK Civil Aviation Authority and air navigation service provider NATS. It build on the work that Avincis, Bristow and CHC have carried out as part of their Joint Operators Review into North Sea helicopter safety – an initiative set up in the wake of a fatal crash in August 2013 off the coast of Shetland. The formal launch of HeliOffshore will take place later this month, but other operators are already being canvassed over potential membership. The initiative will additionally take over work previously carried out by the European Helicopter Operators Committee. The formal launch is expected on 21 October 2014 in London. UPDATE 3 October 2014: Dominic Perry has filed this further story with longer interviews (it is a Flight International ‘Analysis’ article and readers need to register). UPDATE 21 October 2014: Launch video. UPDATE 10 February 2015: Aerossurance is pleased to have been accepted as an Alliance Member of HeliOffshore. Aerossurance has extensive helicopter safety experience. For helicopter advice you can trust, contact us at: enquiries@aerossurance.com Follow us on LinkedIn and on Twitter @Aerossurance for our latest...
read moreGulf of Mexico Fatal Helicopter Accident (11 Jun 14)
Gulf of Mexico Fatal Helicopter Accident (11 Jun 14) A search has been called off for two people missing after a helicopter accident in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) on 11 June 2014. It is reported that divers have located two bodies. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) preliminary report: N207MY BELL 206 ROTORCRAFT CRASHED IN THE WATER WHILE ON APPROACH TO AN OIL RIG PLATFORM, THE 2 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, 90 MILES FROM HOUMA, LA According to press reports, the Bell 206L4 helicopter, operated by Westwind Helicopters, was lost in the in South Timbalier Block 317 Block at 2:40 pm local time, with one pilot and one passenger on board. Its destination was a platform of Renaissance Offshore, bought in 2013 from Black Elk Energy. A Renaissance spokesperson said the helicopter went down between 150 and 200 yards from the platform where it was to pick up a mechanic and refuel. It appears the aircraft sank shortly after impact. The helicopter was reportedly contracted by Wood Group, although they had no personnel onboard. Westwind, based in in Santa Fe, Texas, is a relatively small operator, formed approximately 4 years ago. N207MY, a single engine helicopter, was manufactured in 2000. The Bell 206 is widely used by production management companies that are contracted to operate many small production platforms in the GOM. The number of single engine helicopters in use in the GOM continues a slow decline, while the number of medium and heavy twin engined helicopters continues to increase. UPDATE 1 June 2014: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary report states: Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and company flight following was in effect. The flight departed an oil platform at 1409, and was en route to the South Tim Bailier 317 platform. A witness who was located on the oil platform reported that he heard the helicopter approach the platform. The helicopter was on a straight in approach to the platform, when the helicopter started to spin in a clockwise direction. The witness added that the helicopter spun 8-10 times, before the helicopter went silent and then dropped to the water. The helicopter sank and was recovered from about a depth of 380 feet of water. Examination of the helicopter showed extensive damage to the cabin. The tail boom had separated from the main fuselage and was recovered from the surface of the water. One of the main rotor blades, which had separated about four feet from the mast was not recovered. Several sections of the helicopter were not recovered, and included the landing skids, cabin door, and floor. For more details of this fatal B206 accident see: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=166878 http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2156594/ http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article1365459.ece http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2014/06/2_bodies_found_in_gulf_of_mexi.html UPDATE 26 July 2016: The NTSB have issued their final report: A witness, who was on the platform, saw the helicopter heading toward the platform. As the helicopter approached, it started to spin in a clockwise direction. The helicopter spun several times before it dropped to the water. Examination of the helicopter and rotor system did not reveal any preimpact abnormalities. Weather stations located about 26 and 48 miles from the accident site reported favorable conditions with relatively light wind. Given the lack of specific wind information for the accident location and the lack of information regarding the helicopter’s direction, speed, and altitude as it approached the platform, it could...
read moreRapid Progress with a Category A EBS
Rapid Progress with a Category A EBS One of the most urgent initiatives currently underway in UK offshore helicopter safety is the introduction of Category A Emergency Breathing Systems (EBS). Progress was discussed at Oil & Gas UK’s annual aviation seminar in Aberdeen on 4 June 2014. Oil & Gas UK is the organisation that represents the entire UK offshore industry. Specialist aviation advisors Aerossurance are a member of Oil & Gas UK. In 2013, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued CAP1034 which reported on the experimental work performed in the development of a technical standard for EBS and two draft technical standards. This work followed on from CAA Paper 2003/13, study of the development and implementation of the various forms EBS, and is being presented to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) helicopter ditching Rule Making Task RMT.0120 working group. The most capable Class A technical standard is for a system that could be deployed underwater after a sudden, unexpected immersion (effectively a water impact rather than a capsize after a deliberate ditching). Following the CAA Review, which resulted in the CAP1145 report published 20 February 2014, the CAA has reversed its position and are now to require Category A EBS (unless the helicopter a ‘side floating capability’ – something researched but not yet trialled on any helicopter). The current combined lifejacket and hybrid re-breather Emergency Breathing System, the LAPP Jacket was introduced around 10 years ago as an industry initiative, at a time when CAA declined to make EBS a mandatory requirement. The LAPP Jacket, would have needed modification to meet Category A. So a decision was taken to take the opportunity to develop a new lifejacket / EBS combination. At the recent seminar the Oil & Gas UK led activity to introduce the new lifejacket and Category A EBS was discussed. Interestingly despite some relatively arbitrary and tight regulatory deadlines posed in CAP1145, a decision was made NOT to give the working group a specific date target. Instead the focus was on getting the design and implementation RIGHT. Due to close liaison between all the stakeholders involved, a design activity that normally would have taken in the order of 2 years is likely to be achieved in closer to 6 months, illustrating the true value of working in partnership. The new dual chamber Mk 50 lifejacket, from UK company Survitec, is to be approved by EASA and the EBS is to be approved by CAA in accordance with the Category A specification in CAP1034. The EBS is a Compressed Air EBS (CA-EBS) with a pressurised P-STASS (Passenger – Short Term Air Supply System) style gas bottle mounted on the right hand side of the Mk50 Lifejacket (a personal locator beacon can be fitted to the left hand side of the Mk50 Lifejacket). P-STASS is widely used by the military and by Fire & Rescue Service Maritime Incident Response Groups. Based on feedback from trials, a decision was made to use a plain oval tube for the CA-EBS rather than a more traditional diver style mouth piece. The nose clip, always a fiddly feature of the LAPP Jacket, appears to have been massively improved by being more rigidly attached to the mouth piece. The certification documentation was expected to be submitted within days of the seminar. Oil & Gas UK have already funded production of long-lead items. It was emphasised that practical training with...
read moreAAIB Report on the Ditchings of EC225 G-REDW 10 May 2012 & G-CHCN 22 Oct 2012
AAIB Report on the Ditchings of EC225 G-REDW 10 May 2012 & G-CHCN 22 Oct 2012 The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) have published their combined report into the two Eurocopter EC225 helicopter ditchings in the North Sea in 2012: ….the crews of G-REDW and G-CHCN experienced a loss of main rotor gearbox oil pressure, which required them to activate the emergency lubrication system. This system uses a mixture of glycol and water to provide 30 minutes of alternative cooling and lubrication. Both helicopters should have been able to fly to the nearest airport; however, shortly after the system had activated, a warning illuminated indicating that the emergency lubrication system had failed. This required the crews to ditch their helicopters immediately in the North Sea. Both ditchings were successful and the crew and passengers evacuated into the helicopter’s liferafts before being rescued. There were no serious injuries. The loss of oil pressure on both helicopters was caused by a failure of the bevel gear vertical shaft in the main rotor gearbox, which drives the oil pumps. The shafts had failed as result of a circumferential fatigue crack in the area where the two parts of the shaft are welded together. The emergency lubrication system operated in both cases, but the system warning light illuminated as a result of an incompatibility between the helicopter wiring and the pressure switches. This meant the warning light would always illuminate after the crew activated the emergency lubrication system. Ten safety recommendations have been made by AAIB. In addition, the helicopter manufacturer and other organisations have initiated a number of safety actions as a result of this investigation. Oil & Gas UK commented: We are aware that the parties to which the relevant recommendations have been directed have been actively involved in the compilation of this report, and have been taking action. We welcome it, and the progress that has already been made towards addressing these recommendations, such as the redesign, approval and introduction of a replacement vertical shaft. Airbus Helicopters has been very open and engaged with industry and workforce representatives throughout the whole investigation into the underlying causes of these incidents, and this high level of engagement has been hugely welcomed. While the physical causes of the shaft crack and the EMLUBE switch failure have been briefed and debated extensively, perhaps more so than almost any recent other accident after a noticeably extensive investigation and multi-party effort, this report contains lots of further detail, including on emergency checklists, the crash position indicator and liferafts. For further background: http://oilandgasuk.co.uk/helicopter-safety-steering-group-circulates-fact-sheet-following-g-chcn-ditching/ http://www.ec225news.com/site/en/ref/Investigation,-Solutions-&-Approvals_32.html Airbus Helicopters gave a commendably frank and enlightening reflective presentation on some of the lessons in 2014. UPDATE 20 October 2014: 50 aircraft have now been retrofitted. Note: The EC225 is also now known as the H225. UPDATE 9 May 2020: Ungreased Japanese AS332L Tail Rotor Fatally Failed UPDATE 17 September 2022: Canadian B212 Crash: A Defective Production Process UPDATE 10 December 2022: Main Rotor Blade Certification Anomaly in Fatal Canadian Accident UPDATE 20 July 2024: Night CHC HEMS BK117 Loss of Control UPDATE 20 December 2024: 29 Seconds to Impact: A Fatal Night Offshore Approach in the Irish Sea UPDATE 8 February 2025: S-76D Loss of Control on Approach to an Indian Drilling Rig UPDATE 25 May 2025: CHC Sikorsky S-92A Seat Slide Surprise(s) Aerossurance has extensive helicopter safety, airworthiness, operations, survivability and accident analysis experience. For aviation...
read moreOffshore Helicopter Confidence Building – Oil & Gas UK’s 2014 Aviation Seminar
Offshore Helicopter Confidence Building – Oil & Gas UK’s 2014 Aviation Seminar The critical importance of rebuilding confidence in helicopter transport was the theme for Oil & Gas UK’s annual aviation seminar in Aberdeen on 4 June 2014. Oil & Gas UK is the organisation that represents the entire UK offshore industry and Aerossurance is a member of Oil & Gas UK. Chris Allen, Petrofac’s Group Director for Safety and Step Change Helicopter Safety Steering Group (HSSG) representative on the new Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group opened the seminar. He emphasised that not only do helicopter operations need to be safe but they need to be perceived as safe, hence the focus of this seminar was one of building confidence. He emphasised that confidence is something that has to be earned. Chris Allen highlighted the advances since he made his first offshore flight in an S-61 in 1985, commenting that though they had survival suits, there was a risk of burn holes in the suits as smoking onboard was still allowed! He also commented on the safety advances in new helicopter types becoming available and how the industry must not only demand improvements but also be prepared to implement them. He made the point, echoed by other speakers such as John Taylor of union UNITE, that although survivability matters are important, the prime focus needs to be on keeping aircraft flying safely. Addressing ‘the right hand side of the bowtie‘ can only increase confidence in the ability to escape and survive after an accident. Actions on the ‘left hand side’ increases confidence in completing the flight accident free. Aerossurance was reminded of a cartoon presented at a Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) conference on Flight Safety in 1991 that was intended to show the results of over focusing on the ‘right hand side’. The CAA stated that ‘recent accidents are serious cause of concern’ and, perhaps tellingly, that they left the CAA with what they called ‘no option but to act’. It was also conceded that the CAA Review, which resulted in the CAP1145 report (‘Safety review of offshore public transport helicopter operations in support of the exploitation of oil and gas’) and its 61 actions and recommendations, was done hurriedly. Those CAA comments suggested to some in the audience a ‘knee jerk reaction’ ‘after being off the pace’ on offshore helicopters (as other participants put it). It was also revealed there was specific direction NOT to consult other stakeholders on the report before publication. In many ways that is an odd admission, as CAA has made great play of one action, that of creating a Norwegian style, collaborative ‘forum’ for offshore helicopter safety. Some of the CAP1145 timescales were denounced as ‘ill thought out’ by John Taylor of UNITE in his presentation. Several participants pointed out other CAA ‘actions and recommendations’ in CAP1145 that were already in-hand by EASA and industry. Hopefully now the report has been published there will now be a greater focus on working in partnership to improve safety. The CAA described the resulting Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group, its two sub-groups and their relationship with the CAA. The OHSAG has met ‘a couple of times’ and it was explained that the minutes will be made public (minutes from the first meeting on 20 March 2014 are currently on the CAA web site)....
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