Three leading offshore helicopter operators are to launch a review of their own safety practices – just a day after a wide-ranging safety review was announced by aviation chiefs.
Bond, Bristow and CHC will look at review of safety procedures, training and equipment in the wake of the latest fatal helicopter crash.
The review is set to be carried out under the auspices of the European Helicopter Operators Committee, with the companies claiming they are looking to compliment the CAA review of North Sea helicopter operations announced last night.
“By sharing best practices, we can effectively enhance safety for our clients and our crews,” said Bristow helicopters chief executive Bill Chiles.
“This initiative will combine the expertise and talents within our industry and will complement and fully support the work being done by HSSG [the Helicopter Safety Steering Group] and broader industry forums to identify best-in-class technologies, processes, procedures and training to meet the objectives of achieving better safety performance.”
The companies said they hoped other helicopter operators would join the review group, which will look at current emergency response planning, training, safety communication and training, along with manufacturing and human factors involved in recent helicopter accidents.
CHC chief executive Bill Amelio said the joint project underlined the three companies’ commitment to offshore safety.
“There are and will continue to be plenty of bases for healthy competition between our companies, but safety must never be one of them,” he said.
“Everyone benefits when the people who rely on us for their livelihoods are able to return home safely, and it remains our obligation to do everything humanly possible to fulfill that expectation.”
News of the review was welcomed by energy industry body Oil & Gas UK.
Robert Paterson, the organisation’s health, safety and employment issues director, told Energy Voice: “Oil & Gas UK welcomes the helicopter operators’ review which aims to identify best practice in safety, training and operations with a view to raising the bar across the industry.”
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Four people died when a CHC-operated AS332 L2 came down in the sea just off the coast of Shetland. It was the fifth such crash in the last four years, with 16 people previously killed when an L2 crashed off Peterhead in 2009.
The CAA review, announced yesterday, will see the civil aviation body working with its Norwegian counterpart and European safety officials to review helicopter safety across the offshore industry. A panel of independent experts will advise the review, which is due to publish its findings early in 2014.
This new review by the three helicopter companies would include the findings from Air Accident Investigation Branch inquiries into previous accidents, along with other research.
“This initiative has our full support,” said James Drummond, chief executive of Bond owners Avincis.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the combined efforts of the operators will further enhance safety for everyone in the industry.”
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