Health & Safety Report 2013

HEALTH & SAFETY REPORT 2013

4.5 Safety Improvements and Initiatives Since the early 1980s, the industry and its regulators (the CAA and the HSE) have funded and supported many safety initiatives and improvements to UKCS helicopter operations. Some of the major achievements in recent years are listed below but they have not been given any order of priority or importance. 14 TCAS 2 Collision Avoidance System A programme is under way on the UKCS to introduce an airborne collision avoidance system on all offshore helicopters. This system has the potential to eliminate conflictions between similarly equipped offshore helicopters and to reduce ‘air miss’ opportunities with other aircraft. Extension of VHF Communications Coverage and Introduction of Multilateration Flight Surveillance for the UK Continental Shelf In 2004, the UKOOA (now Oil & Gas UK) Aviation Safety Technical Group initiated a joint project with the National Air Traffic Service to assess the efficiency and coverage of offshore helicopter VHF aeronautical communications and fight surveillance on the UKCS. The outcome of this review led to modernisation of offshore VHF aeronautical communications and installation of a newmultilateration flight surveillance system which has greatly enhanced air traffic control on the UKCS. The new systems became operational in 2010 and the wide area multilateration (a world first over such a large area of sea) has been welcomed by air traffic controllers as a surveillance tool that is the equivalent of radar. Meteorological Project In 2009, in response to a new CAA Guidance CAP 437 requirement, Oil & Gas UK led a project to provide a UKCS-wide automatic meteorological recording and reporting network. The aim was to improve the accuracy of weather information used by offshore helicopter flight crews. This project entailed installing specialist meteorological equipment and software on designated hub installations and providing training for around 600 offshore personnel. The Helimet system became fully operational in 2012. Helideck Lighting Green perimeter lighting was adopted as an international standard on offshore helidecks following CAA field trials of new helideck lighting systems designed to enhance visual cues for landing at night. Green perimeter lighting has been in use on the UKCS for the last four years in conjunction with revised flood lighting. The project also identified the significant benefits of lighting the aiming circle and ‘H’ marking. Following successful trials during winter 2012 to 2013, these ‘new’ lighting systems will begin to be installed on UKCS offshore helidecks next year.

14 For a full and detailed list of industry-led safety initiatives and CAA research projects, see the appendix provided on the Oil & Gas UK website at: http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/Health_Safety_Report_2013.cfm

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