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5.5 Safety Improvements and Initiatives
Since the early 1980s, many safety initiatives and improvements to UKCS helicopter operations have been funded
and fully supported by industry and the regulators (CAA and HSE). Some of the major achievements in recent years
are listed below but they have not been given any order of priority or importance.
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
North Sea
In 2004, the UKOOA (now Oil & Gas UK) Aviation Safety Technical Group (ASTG) initiated a joint project with the
National Air Traffic Service (NATS) to assess the efficiency and coverage of offshore helicopter VHF aeronautical
communications and fight surveillance on theUKCS. The outcome of this review led to significant work and investment
being made to upgrade and modernise offshore VHF aeronautical communications and the development and
installation of a new ’multilateration’ flight surveillance system which has significantly enhanced air traffic control
on the UKCS. The new systems became operational in 2010 and the wide area multilateration was welcomed by air
traffic controllers as a surveillance tool that is the equivalent of radar.
Meteorological Project – Helimet
In2009, inresponsetoanewCAACAP437requirement,Oil&GasUK ledaproject toprovideaUKCS-widesemi-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 providingmeteorological observer training for offshore personnel. The Helimet system
became fully operational in 2012 and expansion and system upgrades continue. Initial and/or refresher training has
been delivered to over 1,000 personnel since the systemwas introduced.
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 floodlighting.
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 are being installed on UKCS offshore helidecks.
Forecasting/Predicting Triggered Lightning Strikes
Responding to requests from industry, the CAA collaborated with the Met Office to investigate and demonstrate the
feasibility of forecasting/predicting triggered lightning strikes on helicopters. Oil & Gas UK, the Norwegian CAA, CHC
Helicopter and seven individual oil and gas companies have funded the project, for which initial work was completed
in June 2011. The system has since been evaluated and improved via in-service trials during the winter 2011/12 and
2012/13 lightning seasons. Although further refinements have been identified, the system is considered mature and
helicopter operators have requested that it be left running on the Met Office OHWeb weather information system.
