Offshore Helicopter Landing Areas: CAA Guidance Issued

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued an Operations Notice to the offshore industry, advising duty holders that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published the sixth edition of its CAP 437.

CAP 437 was introduced in 1981 to give guidance on the criteria applied by the CAA in assessing the standard of offshore helicopter landing areas for helicopters registered in the UK. The sixth edition has been revised to incorporate the results of research projects conducted into improving helideck lighting, and also incorporates information gathered from projects relating to offshore helideck environmental issues. For the first time, the sixth edition includes design requirements for winching areas located on wind turbine platforms.

The sixth edition has also been amended to include new International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) relating to offshore helidecks and shipboard heliports, which will generally become applicable from November 2009. It also includes material forming part of the fourth edition of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Guide to Helicopter/Ship Operations, published in December 2008.

The Operations Notice issued by the HSE includes a table prepared by the CAA summarising the main changes between the fifth and sixth editions. The table indicates how the CAA would expect to see the changes implemented in both new and existing build installations and vessels.

To view the table prepared by the CAA please click here

To view the Operations Notice please please click here