Today, Step Change in Safety announced that Mark Abbey, CHC Helicopter’s West North Sea regional director, will be the new co-chair for it’s Helicopter Safety Steering Group (HSSG).

Mr Abbey succeeds Tim Glasspool of Bristow Helicopters as contractor co-chair, and will join Dave Dickson, vice president of safety and operational risk for BP North Sea, the group’s operator co-chair.

Mr Abbey has been a member of the HSSG since 2013 and will also join the Step Change Leadership Team.

“Every day, CHC and our industry carry thousands of offshore workers safely to and from their remote workplaces,” said Mr. Abbey.  “The most important consideration for every company serving the North Sea offshore industry is safety, all of the time and in every activity.

“We will expand on the HSSG’s great work focusing on safety and further improving the experience of passengers.”

Les Linklater, executive director of Step Change in Safety, said, “We are fortunate to have Mark as a co-chair of HSSG.  His extensive experience coupled with his determination and passion to improve the passenger experience – from the terminal to the tea shack – will be valuable to the HSSG and to the offshore workforce.

“Tim Glasspool has made an outstanding contribution to the group.  Both he and Mark show unwavering commitment to keeping the workforce safe, and I look forward to Mark’s increased involvement with the HSSG.”

We sat down with Mark Abbey to find out more about his appointment.

More information about CHC Helicopter:  CHC Helicopter is a leader in enabling customers to go further, do more and come home safely, including oil and gas companies, government search-and-rescue agencies and organizations requiring helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul services through the Heli-One segment. The company operates more than 230 aircraft in about 30 countries around the world.

More information about the HSSG and Step Change in Safety: The HSSG meets bi-monthly to consider and act on cross-industry topics related to offshore helicopter transportation.  Currently, the group is particularly centered on supporting the implementation of actions and recommendations made by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in its CAP1145 report, published in February 2014.  Step Change in Safety is a member-led organization which seeks to make the UK the safest oil and gas province in the world to work in.  The partnership has more than 130 members, and represents operators, contractors, trade unions, regulators and the onshore and offshore workforce.