OPITO works with the UK offshore oil and gas industry to improve helicopter safety

(WO) – OPITO has introduced a new standard to ensure greater competence and safety around helipads, benefiting offshore workers worldwide who rely on safe transfers to energy facilities on the open sea.

The new Helicopter Administrator Workplace Competency Assessment Standard is consistent with the best practices and requirements for helicopter administrators as set out in the Civil Aviation Authority’s Civil Aviation Publication CAP 437: Standards for Offshore Heliports (CAP 437).

The assessment will assess candidates’ knowledge and skills in providing the necessary administrative support for the safe operation of the heliport and the management of helicopter movements as part of their role at work.

The Workplace Competency Assessment for Helicopter Administrators is conducted at the candidates’ workplace and consists of five units.

Lucie Booth, Product Development Manager at OPITO, said: “OPITO is committed to developing workforce development solutions to build a safe and skilled workforce in the energy sector. With the introduction of the Workplace Competency Assessment Standard for Helicopter Administrators, Helicopter Administrators will be assessed in their workplace role to ensure they make a meaningful contribution to safe operational activities in often demanding offshore environments.”

This standard has been produced in collaboration with Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) and the wider industry in response to an earlier amendment to CAP 437 and follows the introduction of OPITO’s Helicopter Administrator Training Standard which will be launched in March 2023.

During the development of the new standard, OPITO and OEUK worked closely with industry stakeholders including Spirit Energy, Harbour Energy, HCA, bp, Repsol Resources UK, TAQA and TotalEnergies to ensure the needs of employers were met.

Graham Skinner, Health and Safety Manager at OEUK, said: “The UK offshore energy industry has used helicopters for more than 50 years and has developed some of the highest safety standards in the world. The industry has a continuous improvement programme focused on reducing risk and this is another step forward. We look forward to working with OPITO and our members to ensure we support the introduction of this new standard.”