This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8006178.stm

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Safety beacon call for sea rescue Sea rescue beacons 'a priority'
(1 day later)
New safety beacons must be developed urgently to help save the lives of offshore workers involved in crashes, Aberdeen politicians have said. Oil and gas industry representatives have said they are looking into the use of personal safety beacons for workers flying offshore.
Lewis MacDonald and Frank Doran made the call days after a memorial service was held for the 16 men who died in the North Sea helicopter crash on 1 April. It comes after the North Sea helicopter crash on 1 April in which 16 men died.
The politicians said personal locators should be used as the priority was to find survivors as quickly as possible. The use of beacons, which can help rescuers find people in the sea, has been blocked as there is a risk they can interfere with other signals.
But an aviation expert said beacons could interfere with aircraft signals. Its reintroduction has been backed by politicians but an aviation writer said it was withdrawn for good reason.
The call comes after the accident involving 14 passengers and two crew, who were returning from BP's Miller platform when their Super Puma helicopter crashed in the sea, 11 miles north east of Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. The crash earlier this month, which killed 14 passengers and two crew who were returning from BP's Miller platform on a Super Puma helicopter, happened just weeks after another incident involving a Super Puma.
That crash took place just weeks after another incident involving a Super Puma. In February, 18 people were rescued after their helicopter plunged into the North Sea.
Previous instances of inadvertent activation had been reported - which had the potential for causing problems to onboard aircraft systems Jim FergusonAviation writerPrevious instances of inadvertent activation had been reported - which had the potential for causing problems to onboard aircraft systems Jim FergusonAviation writer
In February, 18 people were rescued after their helicopter plunged into the North Sea, about 125 miles east of Aberdeen. Following that incident, the Civil Aviation Authority blocked the use of personal locator beacons in case they interfered with the more powerful beacon signal from downed aircraft.
Following that incident, the Civil Aviation Authority blocked the use of personal locator beacons - which can help rescuers find people if they end up in the sea - in case they interfered with the more powerful beacon signal from downed aircraft. Now, industry body Oil and Gas UK, have said that finding a technical solution that will allow the beacons to be safely reinstated was a matter of priority, and was discussed at a meeting on Friday.
Labour MP Frank Doran claimed the removal of personal locators could be "unwarranted". Bob Keiller, from Oil and Gas UK, said: "Reinstating these beacons, known in the industry as personal locator beacons or PLBs, is being dealt with by an industry workgroup which was set up by Oil and Gas UK soon after an offshore helicopter ditched in the North Sea in February.
He said: "Of course it is right to fully consider the compatibility of the beacons with flight systems, but if a helicopter goes down in the sea the priority is to find survivors as quickly as possible. "At Friday's meeting, the helicopter issues task group agreed that the momentum must be maintained on this work and even accelerated where possible so that we can get PLBs back in use as quickly as we can."
"There is a strong view that the removal of personal locators is unwarranted." Aberdeen North Labour MP, Frank Doran, claimed the removal of the locators could have been "unwarranted".
Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald said: "It is absolutely right that aircraft beacons must take precedence, but personal locators were hailed as a major safety breakthrough when they were first introduced. He said: "Of course it is right to fully consider the compatibility of the beacons with flight systems, but if a helicopter goes down in the sea the priority is to find survivors as quickly as possible."
"If any worker ends up in the water then the ability of rescue services to reach them quickly can be the difference between life and death."
'Huge debt''Huge debt'
Lewis Macdonald, Labour MSP for Aberdeen Central, said: "It is absolutely right that aircraft beacons must take precedence, but personal locators were hailed as a major safety breakthrough when they were first introduced.
"If any worker ends up in the water then the ability of rescue services to reach them quickly can be the difference between life and death."
He added: "We owe a huge debt to the men and women who work offshore and I want to see a suitable replacement developed as a matter of urgency.He added: "We owe a huge debt to the men and women who work offshore and I want to see a suitable replacement developed as a matter of urgency.
"It should be possible to find a technological solution that is compatible with the equipment used by helicopters and life rafts.""It should be possible to find a technological solution that is compatible with the equipment used by helicopters and life rafts."
However, aviation writer, Jim Ferguson said: "I am somewhat disturbed that Frank Doran apparently regards the withdrawal of these items as being "unwarranted" and have to wonder whether he is fully aware of the reasons for this action. However, aviation writer, Jim Ferguson, said: "I am somewhat disturbed that Frank Doran apparently regards the withdrawal of these items as being "unwarranted" and have to wonder whether he is fully aware of the reasons for this action.
"In fact, the CAA banned them because they were unapproved for aviation use, previous instances of inadvertent activation had been reported - which had the potential for causing problems to onboard aircraft systems."In fact, the CAA banned them because they were unapproved for aviation use, previous instances of inadvertent activation had been reported - which had the potential for causing problems to onboard aircraft systems.
"According to the accident investigators, the locators had also caused difficulties during the rescue phase of the near-lethal incident in February.""According to the accident investigators, the locators had also caused difficulties during the rescue phase of the near-lethal incident in February."