1. 1 CAA Offshore Helicopter Review Mark Swan Group Director, Safety and Airspace Regulation

2. 2 CAA Offshore Helicopter Review  In September 2013, the CAA initiated a review to examine the risks and hazards of helicopter operations in the UK offshore environment.  The report of the review (CAP 1145) was published on 20 February 2014  The report identified 32 actions for the CAA and 29 recommendations for the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and industry.  Safety in air transport among offshore workers will always be a significant concern

3. 3 Why did we initiate the review?  The CAA is committed to ensuring that offshore operations are as safe as possible  The review was commissioned in response to a number of accidents and incidents in the UK offshore environment  The review was initiated to thoroughly examine the risks and hazards of operating in the North sea and consider how these could be managed more effectively  The review was conducted in conjunction with the Norwegian CAA (NCAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) so that a comparison could be made of any safety or operational differences

4. 4 How did we conduct the review? Multidiscipline team Cross CAA capabilities People Sense of urgency Short time frame (4 months) to deliver Time Strict project management process followed A focused scope Process Early implicit engagement with stakeholders Norwegian CAA and EASA part of the team Stakeholders Use of a challenge team to give rigour Accountable to the public and press for delivery Assured & Accountable Report was based on a detailed analysis of accidents and incidents Intelligence The Result Comprehensive detailed report with a strong stance on safety Rapid real changes have happened to improve safety Established forum drives actions Improved communications method to all of industry The Result Comprehensive detailed report with a strong stance on safety Rapid real changes have happened to improve safety Established forum drives actions Improved communications method to all of industry

5. 5 The Challenge Team  The Challenge Team was assembled to provide an external, independent perspective of the offshore helicopter review before the report and recommendations were completed and presented to the CAA board.  The output from the team was used to refine the report content, help the CAA prepare to engage stakeholders effectively and support the development of plans to implement the final recommendations.  The Team members were:  Rear Admiral Simon Charlier  Gary Cox (Transport for Scotland)  Jim Lyons (Independent expert)  Felipe Nascimento (Imperial College London)  Peter Norton (Chief Executive, British Helicopter Association)

6. 6 Key Outcomes The CAA identified actions to improve safety, which included:  Prohibiting helicopter flights in the most severe sea conditions, except in response to an emergency, to reduce the chance of a ditched helicopter capsizing  Imposing restrictions on helicopter flights in extreme sea conditions relative to the sea conditions that the helicopter has been certified to  Identifying training and ongoing skills of aircrew as a key factor in the prevention of accidents, recommending harmonisation of training and procedures for pilots in these areas

7. 7 Where we are now  Substantial and important progress has been made toward improvements in offshore helicopter safety.  Flights are no longer taking place over the most extreme sea conditions  Every single passenger in an offshore helicopter is equipped with new improved emergency breathing systems (EBS)  Offshore workers have received new guidance and crucially, improved safety training  There’s still more to do:  Assess the viability and safety improvements around issues such as offshore communication and helideck certification, and on aligning standards for flight crew  Implement new safety standards for operations to normally unattended installations (NUIs)

8. 8 Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group  The OHSAG was set up as a result of one of the actions from the review, mirroring the Committee for Helicopter Safety in Norway  The group was set up to provide a governance body for offshore operations, with representation from key organisations from across the industry  The purposes of the OHSAG are to:  Facilitate delivery of the review’s actions  Monitor the progress of the recommendations made to others  Facilitate dialogue between helicopter operators, employee representatives and regulators  To co-ordinate and lead the communications of the review to stakeholders and media  To assess the ongoing effectiveness of implemented safety initiatives to ensure tangible measurable safety benefits are delivered  Output of the OHSAG is driven by a technical sub group, with representatives from manufacturers

9. 9 Successes  Introduction of EBS  Manufacturer production of flight crew operation manuals  New passenger sizing methodology to best facilitate emergency egress  Pilot training focused on emphasis on instrument flight and the use of automation  Airworthiness – redefining critical parts  Consistency of application of vibration health monitoring

10. 10 Future Direction  We continue to work on the remaining actions and recommendations in the report; a progress report was published in early 2015, and a further report will be published in 2016  We continue to work closely with industry on NUIs  The OHSAG will continue beyond CAP 1145 as happens in Norway  The fall in oil prices is becoming challenging for all sectors of the industry but investment in safety must continue