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Fundamental changes in traditional helideck certification processes have identified the need for a global initiative to decentralise offshore helideck inspection responsibilities.
Historically the North Sea operations have dominated inspection and quality assurance processes through the advent of CAP 437. The merits associated with this initiative are well known, as the direct involvement of CHC and Bristow Helicopters as shareholding participants captured a unique expertise baseline drawn from resident test pilots and senior training captains.
Unfortunately this operator-centric control has fallen away due to the withdrawal of CHC and Bristow Helicopters from the HCA. This rearrangement will also impact on the currency of 'Helideck Limitation Lists', a critical control mechanism applicable to helidecks that do not meet CAP 437 requirements due to obstructions or other operational limiting factors.
The intention of the UKCAA to re-establish regulatory control of the certification/registration of offshore helidecks will, no doubt, influence global perception as regards the necessity of Regulator participation in the process (as opposed to the status quo, in which the sole responsibility for certification is borne by individual installation owners).
The introduction of larger helicopters, operating set routes at set times, coupled with steady expansion, accentuates the requirement to effectively licence helidecks in keeping with accepted Regular Public Transport (RPT) licencing practices.
With the growing number of helideck-equipped rigs worldwide, now in excess of 4000, Investment bank Barclays expects a 6-percent increase in spending this year. Barclays forecasts that there will be 25 percent more "deepwater" rigs (operating at ocean depths of more than 1,500 meters) by 2016.
Decentralising certification is a practical means of opening up opportunity for knowledge and skill sharing at a competitive rate. It also will increase the opportunity for isolated areas to engage quality services which will have a positive outcome on safety overall and specifically encourage the global application of internationally recognised certificates.
The success of above-mentioned decentralisation is subject to a number of critical prerequisites, namely:
- Certification agencies/bodies must demonstrate strict application of an internationally recognised certification standard (e.g. CAP 437).
- Certification agencies/bodies must observe the mechanisms and processes described by an internationally recognised quality control standard (e.g. ISO 9001:2008).
- Helideck inspection personnel must be trained by an internationally recognised and reputable institution, the curriculum of which should include both theoretical and practical components, and the qualification issued subject to practical demonstration of skill and comprehension, covering a minimum of five inspections of helidecks on varying types of offshore installation.
- Helideck inspectors should be selected from applicants with suitable depth of experience as regards offshore helicopter operations (e.g. helicopter pilots, HLOs, etc.).
- All helideck certification reports should be subject to the peer review of a panel consisting of at least two qualified helideck inspectors.
Australian based FLIGHT SAFETY HELIDECK CERTIFICATION PTY LTD and sister company, Helideck Certification-Africa (HC-A), based in South Africa, prescribe rigidly to the prerequisites mentioned above. Our helideck inspectors are highly trained and spend the initial period of their employment in understudy to our senior inspectors. We employ only seasoned aviation experts and supplement existing expertise with on-going vocational and developmental training.
FSHC has been the sole contracted agent of HCA (Helideck Certification Agency, Aberdeen), for the last six years. Our company is an integral part of the global offshore Helideck community/network and, as such, we are recognised as one of the few global authorities in this area of expertise. Said expertise includes helideck inspection, design assessment, helideck operations manuals and external audits of helicopter operators.
FSHC is the main provider of helideck inspection services and awareness training throughout Australasia, Africa, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Middle East and, to date, has been in the unique position of contributing to the training and awareness of CAP 437 on a global scale.
FSHC holds training on Australia's Sunshine Coast every 3 months. Over the years, this training has attracted both global and domestic delegates from Russia, Asia, Africa, the UK and many other countries.
Against the backdrop of the buy-out and rearrangement of HCA, Aberdeen, and the associated dissolution of the Bristow-CHC partnership, FSHC and HC-A have elected to become independent agencies, effective as of 01 January 2015.
In the spirit of this new initiative, FSHC and HC-A are seeking global partnerships as we expand and enhance the critical services we offer to the offshore Oil and Gas Production industry.
We envisage that these partnerships would include regulatory bodies, rig or multiple rig owners, helicopter operators, insurance and maritime companies, maritime unions and pilot bodies. In short, our vision is of an initiative that consolidates global helideck operations.
Flight safety is a non-negotiable prerequisite for all aviation operations and this will be the central theme of the monthly Flight Safety Newsletter, "Safety Alert".
The content will include pertinent aviation safety reports, aviation safety articles and audit results relevant to pro-active accident prevention.
Further additions will cover an analysis of the age-old decision making processes critical to the delicate balance between cost saving and aviation safety, with real life de-identified audit results demonstrating the pitfalls of this critical balancing act.
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