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North Sea oil workers plan protest over Super Puma helicopters North Sea oil workers drop protest as hunt for Super Puma 'black box' goes on
(about 5 hours later)
Oil workers are planning a protest at Aberdeen airport, the main hub for North Sea helicopters, amid growing demands for Super Pumas to be taken out of service after the crash on Friday that claimed four lives. Investigators continued to hunt on Tuesday for the black box flight recorder from Friday's fatal helicopter crash as oil workers dropped plans for a public protest in Aberdeen over the safety of flights to rigs.
Search teams led by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) have detected the flight data recorder's alert beacon but have yet to find it or the helicopter's tail section, which holds it, hampering its investigation into the crash. Teams led by the air accident investigation branch (AAIB) have detected the flight data recorder's alert beacon but have yet to find it or the Super Puma's tail section which holds it, hampering their investigation into the crash that claimed four lives.
Both are thought to be lying in about 30 fathoms (about 16 metres) of water off Shetland's rocky southern coastline, and the AAIB has called in remotely operated vehicles and a hydrophone underwater microphone to back up its sonar scans. Both are thought to be lying in about 30 fathoms (55 metres) of water off Shetland's rocky southern coast, and the AAIB has called in remotely operated vehicles and a hydrophone (underwater microphone) to back up their sonar scans.
The protest was called by Bob Crow, the RMT's general secretary, after it emerged that workers on the rig affected by Friday's crash were told they had to put "their big boy pants on" after they warned they were too scared to fly in another type of Super Puma. Meanwhile the RMT union, which represents 5,500 offshore workers – about 10% of the total workforce – decided to cancel a protest at Aberdeen airport, the main hub for North Sea helicopters, after claiming it had won the right to speak to oil workers on rigs and heliports.
The Press and Journal in Aberdeen published recordings of a briefing given to staff on the Borgsten Dolphin on 8 August about the reintroduction earlier this month of the Super Puma EC225 by its owners, CHC Helicopter, which also operated the aircraft in Friday's crash. It had been grounded after gearbox failures caused several ditchings. Bob Crow, the RMT's general secretary, said this was a major concession by Oil & Gas UK. The union said it would instead stage a small rally at its headquarters in Aberdeen on Wednesday morning. "This means we can speak to our workers and find out what their concerns are and relay them back. It gives them a voice," Crow said.
After one oil worker said many men offshore were too worried about the EC225s to board them, a CHC representative said: "I have to say, how else are we going to get there? It is what we do. The discord over safety grew on Tuesdayafter it emerged that workers on the same rig affected by Friday's crash were told by a helicopter pilot they had to put "their big boy pants on" after they openly warned they were too afraid to fly in another type of Super Puma.
"At some point we have to put our big boy pants on and say either, 'We believe', either what I am telling you is the truth and I'm willing to sit in the front and risk my family and everything that I have got. If you don't, well, I wouldn't force any of my pilots to fly if they didn't want to." The Press and Journal newspaper published recordings of a briefing to staff on the Borgsten Dolphin on 8 August about the reintroduction this month of the Super Puma EC225 by owner CHC Helicopter, which also operated the aircraft in Friday's crash, after the model had been grounded following gearbox failures that caused several ditchings.
Officials from CHC and Total insisted at the briefing that all the pilots involved would now fly the EC225 after safety modifications had been made. When one oil worker said many men offshore were too worried about the EC225s to board them, a CHC pilot retorted: "I have to say, how else are we going to get there? It is what we do.
As the body of the fourth victim arrived in Aberdeen, Crow said growing public demands for the Super Puma to be taken out of service had been seen on social networking sites: an online petition on Facebook has had more than 36,000 "likes". " No one should underestimate the level of grief and anger felt amongst the offshore workforce in light of Friday night's latest disaster," Crow said. "At some point we have to put our big boy pants on and say either 'we believe', either what I am telling you is the truth and I'm willing to sit in the front and risk my family and everything that I have got. If you don't, well, I wouldn't force any of my pilots to fly if they didn't want to."
His stance has irritated other senior offshore union leaders, who have urged caution until the precise cause of the crash could be established by the AAIB. But union officials said offshore workers were unnerved and rebellious after Friday's incident. CHC said the unguarded "big boy pants" remark came from one of its senior pilots speaking "from the heart" to fellow oil workers to prove his confidence in the aircraft, and was not a corporate presentation.
This is the fifth incident involving two different types of Super Puma in the North Sea in four years, after 16 men were killed when another operated by Bond helicopters, crashed off Peterhead in 2009. Some oil workers are threatening to boycott the entire fleet. "That anger can be seen across the social media sites," Crow said. "Twenty-five years after Piper Alpha, the industry is today confronted by another series of basic demands and assurances on worker safety." "This was his genuine, personal endorsement of the aircraft. He was demonstrating his confidence in the EC225. He acknowledged the risks facing them all in getting to, working on and getting home from rigs," the firm said.
The industry had to allow unions such as the RMT to organise offshore, he said. Raising the prospect of strike action, Crow added: "The time has come for the offshore industry to start treating their workforce with respect and dignity, and that means no more hollow words on safety and a lifting of the ban on union access to the workforce." he said. As the body of the fourth victim arrived in Aberdeen, Crow said social networking sites showed growing demand for the Super Puma to be taken out of service: an online petition on Facebook has now had more than 36,000 "likes". Crow said: "No one should underestimate the level of grief and anger felt amongst the offshore workforce in light of Friday night's latest disaster."
However, the British Airlines Pilots Association (Balpa) said its members still had confidence in the Super Puma fleet, which was successfully and safely operating around the world. including the Norwegian North Sea sector. His decision to organise the protest had irritated other senior offshore union leaders, who urged caution until the precise cause of the crash of the Super Puma AS332 L2 could be established by AAIB. But union officials said offshore workers were now extremely unnerved and rebellious after Friday's incident.
But it added that a full review was needed into its operations in the British North Sea after the AAIB investigation was completed. "We should not rush to judge an aircraft which has three very different variants and has successfully transported millions of passengers worldwide in safety over 30 years of operation," the union said. This is the fifth incident involving two different types of Super Puma in the North Sea in four years, after 16 men were killed when another Super Puma AS332 L2 operated by Bond helicopters crashed off Peterhead in 2009. Some oil workers are threatening to boycott the entire fleet.
"That anger can be seen across the social media sites," Crow said. "Twenty-five years after Piper Alpha, the industry is today confronted by another series of basic demands and assurances on worker safety."
The industry had to allow unions such as the RMT to organise offshore, he said. Raising the prospect of strike action, Crow said: "The time has come for the offshore industry to start treating their workforce with respect and dignity, and that means no more hollow words on safety and a lifting of the ban on union access to the workforce."
The British Airlines Pilots Association (Balpa) said its members still had confidence in the Super Puma fleet, which it said was successfully and safely operating around the world including the Norwegian North Sea sector.
"We should not rush to judge an aircraft which has three very different variants and has successfully transported millions of passengers worldwide in safety over 30 years of operation," Balpa said.
But it added that a full review was needed into its operations in the British North Sea was needed after the AAIB investigation was completed.
"Balpa believes there is a need to take a step back and, as well as reviewing each of the five individual accident investigations, to consider as a whole what can be done to improve the safety of both the offshore workforce (our passengers) and Balpa members who share the same risks, but on a daily basis."
After CHC and the other two North Sea helicopter operators Bond and Bristow grounded all their Super Pumas immediately following the crash, removing half of all the helicopters used offshore, oil companies have started hiring boats to transport workers to and from North Sea rigs.After CHC and the other two North Sea helicopter operators Bond and Bristow grounded all their Super Pumas immediately following the crash, removing half of all the helicopters used offshore, oil companies have started hiring boats to transport workers to and from North Sea rigs.
Total said it had chartered four ships and was now planning how to ferry workers off three oil platforms and other offshore drilling facilities. Other firms are expected to share aircraft, with BP due to hire extra Sikorsky helicopters. Total said it had chartered four ships and was now planning how to ferry workers off three oil platforms and other offshore drilling facilities. CHC was now relying heavily on Sikorsky helicopters while other firms are expected to share aircraft, with BP due to hire extra Sikorskys.
Evidence is now emerging which suggests the Super Puma did not suddenly plunge into the sea: the aircraft lost contact with Sumburgh air traffic control two miles west of the airport. It was later found in the sea, nearly intact and with 14 survivors close to rocks at Fitful Head, a mile from Sumburgh, which suggests it was briefly able to continue flying. Evidence has emerged suggesting the Super Puma did not suddenly plunge into the sea on Friday: the aircraft lost contact with Sumburgh air traffic control 2 miles west of the airport. It was later found in the sea, nearly intact and with 14 survivors close to rocks at Fitful Head a mile from Sumburgh, which suggests it was briefly able to continue flying.
The helicopter's main fuselage was then towed about a mile down the coast by the RNLI, to ensure it was not dashed onto the rocks by tides and currents on Friday night. A source close to that search and rescue operation said searching for the flight recorder was like "looking for a needle in a haystack" but in 17m of water. The helicopter's main fuselage was then towed about a mile down the coast by the RNLI, to ensure it was not dashed on to the rocks by tides and currents. A source close to that search and rescue operation said searching for the flight recorder in 17m of water was like "looking for a needle in a haystack".
A fatal accident inquiry, a cross between an inquest and a judicial investigation, is due to take place into the 2009 Super Puma crash in Aberdeen next year.A fatal accident inquiry, a cross between an inquest and a judicial investigation, is due to take place into the 2009 Super Puma crash in Aberdeen next year.
Since that incident, there have been three ditchings involving Super Puma EC225s, which all led to flights being temporarily suspended. AAIB investigations found that two ditchings were due to gearbox failures. CHC returned its EC225s to service earlier this month. Since that incident, there have been three ditchings involving Super Puma EC225s, which all led to flights being temporarily suspended. AAIB investigations found two ditchings were due to gearbox failures. CHC returned its EC225s to service earlier this month.
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