Senior leaders from the offshore oil and gas industry have reconfirmed their commitment to driving up safety performance, agreeing to press hard for comprehensive implementation of safety priorities that will have the most potential to save lives in helicopter operations. These safety priorities include activities such as sharing and jointly analysing operational data through the new HeliOffshore Safety Intelligence Programme.

At the fourth annual conference of global safety organisation HeliOffshore, held 6-7^thMay, a record 203 delegates heard pledges of financial and leadership support from the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP).

Fawaz Bitar, chairman of the IOGP Management Committee and BP’s Head of Global Operations, Upstream, emphasised the need for all stakeholders to continue to participate in collaborating for safety. He indicated that IOGP would be ready to invest in safety programmes and requested relevant project proposals be brought forward.

“It’s personal: in BP alone 2,500 passengers are transported each day by helicopter and fixed wing aircraft. People’s lives depend on aviation safety,” Mr Bitar told the conference. “In a decade, the oil and gas industry has halved fatalities and our mission is now to eliminate all loss of life. This is no longer a vision. It is an expectation.”

Senior industry leaders and frontline experts led discussions on the next steps in HeliOffshore’s safety collaboration, forging agreement on key enablers and practical actions for the year ahead to deliver agreed priorities. In a joint presentation, executives from Airbus Helicopters and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation explained and established alignment as to how manufacturers’ stage gate review processes will now be applied to provide clarity as to how safety programme implementation is progressing and the role that all stakeholders must play in achieving the agreed priorities.

“We are ordinary people who can help our team members to achieve extraordinary results,” commented HeliOffshore chairman Bill Chiles. “There is no more noble cause than for all of us to work together to save lives. We do this because it is right – it’s a fundamental human obligation to make sure all our passengers and crews return home safely every day.”

“Together we’ve achieved so much in the four years since HeliOffshore was formedand there’s plenty that we can take pride in,” commented HeliOffshore CEO Gretchen Haskins. “Nevertheless, each and every member company knows there is no room for complacency and that there is so much more we can achieve for safety.”

The HeliOffshore Board of Directors recognised three leaders from member companies for their exceptional contributions to safety in the offshore helicopter industry: Robert Bouillion (PHI Inc.), Dé Jansen (CHC Helicopter) and Tim Rolfe (Bristow Group).