Offshore wind is one of the fastest-growing energy technologies. As wind farms have multiplied, with an increasing number being built further offshore, helicopters have become integral for operational tasks such as site surveys, transfer of personnel, and maintenance and inspection.
The G+ ‘Good practice guidelines for safe helicopter operations in support of the global offshore wind industry’ and HeliOffshore ‘Wind Farm Recommended Practice’ documents set a new benchmark for offshore wind aviation safety.
A result of two years of collaboration between representatives from helicopter operators, aircraft manufacturers, energy companies, wind turbine manufacturers and industry regulators, the recommended practice helps stakeholders integrate helicopter operations safely into offshore wind projects.
“The harmonisation and sharing of experience that these guidelines promote will lead to real health and safety benefits, as we all continue to work tirelessly to uphold our safety performance” said G+ General Manager Kate Harvey. “Wind industry users of helicopter services cannot simply ‘contract out’ their overall responsibility for the safety of their employees and others who may be affected by their activities, so these are fundamental resources for the services they procure. As offshore wind capacity grows, our commitment to operations being carried out in a safe and efficient manner remains unwavering.”
Tim Rolfe, HeliOffshore CEO, added that the launch of the two recommended practices brings HeliOffshore one step closer to its goal of ensuring no lives are lost through offshore aviation, no matter where in the energy industry that service is provided. HeliOffshore will now work with its members to implement these practices at an organisational level.
The HeliOffshore Windfarm Working Group, led by Siemens Gamesa aviation specialist Lee Harris, identified and prioritised a list of critical topics to be addressed which were published in both documents respectively. Similarly, G+ member companies formed a Working Group to steer the development of these guidelines, providing oversight as well as contributing to the content.
Setup in partnership with the Energy Institute, G+ works to tackle health and safety issues in the industry through four main work programmes: incident data reporting, good practice guidelines, safe by design and learning from incidents.
HeliOffshore is the global, safety-focused association for the offshore helicopter industry. Through collaboration with and between their members, they deliver industry-wide safety programmes to enhance safety, worldwide.
For additional information:
