Offshore Helicopter Safety Issues to be Discussed at Aviation Seminar

Oil & Gas UK

7 Jun, 12

Oil & Gas UK is once again to host a one-day seminar with the aim of bringing together leading figures in the oil and gas and aviation industries to discuss offshore helicopter safety.

The event, which is sponsored by Bond Offshore Helicopters and Maersk Oil, is the seventh annual Aviation Seminar organised by Oil & Gas UK and will feature a range of high profile speakers discussing recent advancements made to offshore aviation safety. The seminar will also feature two interactive panel sessions, designed to provoke discussion.

Step Change in Safety’s team leader, Les Linklater, will discuss how the Helicopter Safety Steering Group is responding to recent helicopter safety incidents and how it will facilitate industry-wide learning from them. In addition, he will tell them about the group’s progress on long-term projects, including the introduction of improved helideck lighting and an improved system to enable better prediction of potential faults and component degradation.

Learning from the recent Elgin incident is also on the agenda, with Total’s David Hainsworth discussing how helideck operations were conducted during the leak, and the MCA’s Pete Thomson discussing the successful evacuation procedure from the Coastguard’s perspective.

Delegates will also hear from the Met Office’s Jonathan Wilkinson, who will provide an update on the Triggered Lightning Prediction Project – intended to provide flight crews with the tools to avoid flying near areas of active lightning.
Other speakers on the day come from Centrica’s Gavin Williams, a Helicopter Landing Officer (HLO), who will provide an HLO’s view of helideck operations and safety; and Paul Barnes of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) who will provide an update of safety improvements to Canadian helicopter offshore operations following the Sikorsksy S92 fatal accident off Newfoundland in 2009.

Delegates will also have the opportunity to get a ‘behind the scenes’ trip from hangar to helideck, with a special presentation by the three major helicopter operators; Bond, CHC and Bristow.

Robert Paterson, Oil & Gas UK's health and safety director, said: "Offshore helicopter safety is an oil and gas industry priority and very much at the forefront of all our minds: this is especially true for those who travel to work by helicopter.

"Improving the safety of helicopter operations is an ongoing process. The purpose of the Aviation Seminar is to bring the oil and gas and aviation communities together to review recent safety achievements, look ahead to what’s around the corner and identify things we in the UK can learn from incidents around the world.

"I’d encourage anyone to attend who has a working interest on offshore safety – particularly where there is a cross-over into helicopter operations."

The event will take place at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre on 13 June 2012 between 8.30am and 16.15pm.

Find out more about the Oil & Gas UK Aviation Seminar

Tags: Civil, News, North Sea, Offshore, Safety