Commenting, Oil & Gas UK’s health and safety director Robert Paterson said:

“Oil & Gas UK is working with our members to assess the impact on safety of the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) Review.

“Like the CAA, our primary focus is to create and maintain a safe environment for our industry to operate in.  If the specific areas addressed in the CAA report are implemented in the right way, they will further improve the safety of helicopter operations in the North Sea.

“We believe that the CAA’s proposed timescale does not take into account the full risk picture for offshore workers. For example, Oil & Gas UK is concerned that limiting helicopter seating capacity from June could lead to this summer’s planned safety critical maintenance programmes for many installations being postponed until 2015. We are working with our members and the offshore workforce as matter of urgency to quantify the wider safety impact of the CAA review and will share these findings publicly and with the relevant authorities.”

CAP 1145 requires that pending rollout of Emergency Breathing Systems, from June 2014 passengers will only be able to fly if seated adjacent to a push out window emergency exit. The impact of the seating reduction varies with helicopter type.