Do oil and gas risk owners understand real-world helicopter winch rescue hazards?
Mick MacfarlaneERGT Australia.
The APPEA Journal 54(2) 556-556 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ13129
Published: 2014
Abstract
Helicopter search and rescue (SAR) for oil and gas operations in the northwest of WA is undertaken by helicopters and crews contracted to support oil and gas operations. The capability of these crews and aircraft varies and is described by helicopter operators as either limited or restricted SAR. This differs to similar oil and gas regions of Australia and globally, where full or dedicated SAR is available to respond to pre-identified rescue events. Key differences between full and restricted SAR equate to WA operations being unable to conduct winch rescue at night from the water, limited capability to winch from vessels and lack or search technology such as night vision and heat signature equipment considered essential elsewhere. The type of oil and gas operations undertaken in the northwest of WA are no different to other parts of the world, especially in terms of identified accident event potential. However, despite the need for full SAR as a preparedness measure for oil and gas emergencies overseas, northwest WA still operates to a lesser capability. There is much discussion as to the rational for this situation, but regardless of opinion logic would suggest, at the very least, opportunity exists to review northwest oil and gas risk management process for this specific field as development of increasingly complex and distant offshore operations continues. Therefore, this report, its supporting training materials and supplementary reports, seek to both clarify and reinforce hazards associated with helicopter SAR to enable more robust risk management going forward.
As a course director with ERGT Australia’s Incident Management Training Centre in Perth, Mick facilitates training and exercises for offshore command teams, onshore coordination, and crisis management teams. With 28 years’ experience in the Military and Emergency Services, Mick has held positions as both a Royal Navy clearance diver and commercial diver in the UK. After moving to Australia, he developed skills in helicopter search and rescue for ambulance and military contracts, which included operations in East Timor on behalf of the United Nations. During his time in Aviation rescue, he also completed two years’ service as a Para-Jumper with Australia’s National Safety Council Pararescue teams. Collectively, Mick’s aviation career produced significant experience in long range offshore rescue, with focus on winching to ships and night overwater operations. While serving with the NSCA, Mick acquired additional specialisation in submersible rescue vehicle training for dry-transfer from military submarines, and his emergency service exposure was further consolidated after serving eight years as a professional firefighter in Melbourne. Mick holds a Masters of Emergency Management degree, is a Qualified Level 2 Incident Controller within the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System (AIIMS) and has completed formal training in the United States Incident Command System (ICS). Furthermore, he is a former Chairman of the Asia Pacific Training Providers Advisory Group; an organization that develops emergency response training standards for the regions oil and gas operators. He describes one of his most professionally rewarding experiences as developing underwater escape procedures and training for the Red Bull Air Race team. These processes contributed greatly to a pilot’s successful escape following a high speed ditching during practice for the Perth race in 2009. |
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