074 NORWEGIAN OIL AND GAS RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES FOR HELIDECK PERSONNEL

Translated version

Norwegian Oil and Gas Association recommended guidelines for Helideck Personnel No.: 074 Established: 01.09.2002 Page: 2 ___________________________________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. 2. 3. 3 4. 5. 6. 7. 5 8. 9. 5

Purpose Application Purpose and principles Responsibilities Definitions/personnel categories Recommendation/approval Internal training Acceptance criteria for equivalent training Helideck staffing and expertise

3 3

4 4 5

Norwegian Oil and Gas Association recommended guidelines for Helideck Personnel No.: 074 Established: 01.09.2002 Page: 3 ___________________________________________________________________________

1.

PURPOSE The purpose of this document is to ensure a joint practice during work, landing and take-off on helicopter decks on fixed and mobile facilities and vessels on the Norwegian continental shelf, as well as to ensure a minimum level of expertise for helicopter personnel.

2.

APPLICATION These guidelines comprise personnel on fixed and mobile facilities and vessels used in the petroleum activities. The attached helideck manual prescribes outfitting, procedures and staffing of helidecks during normal operations, landing and take-off during helicopter operations, on and offloading of passengers and cargo, as well as handling of accidents and other preparedness/emergency situations. As regards expertise and training, reference is made to Norwegian Oil and Gas Associations (Norwegian Oil and Gas) guidelines for safety and preparedness training, which contains the discipline plan for the HLO course.

3.

PURPOSE AND PRINCIPLES On offshore facilities, personnel must be able to handle most situations. This means that personnel with special preparedness-related tasks have the qualifications necessary to master these. The petroleum regulations stipulate the framework for the activity, including the activity on, over and near the helideck. Section 9 of the Framework Regulations, describes the principles for risk reduction. Section 10 of the Framework Regulations stipulates requirements for expertise (also see Section 11 of the Management Regulations), while Section 14 describes qualification and follow-up of other participants such as when hiring units with helidecks. Section 29 of the Framework Regulations stipulates requirements for coordination of preparedness. Section 64 of the Activities Regulations stipulates requirements for preparation of strategy and plans for preparedness situations. The existing helideck manual is a part of this. In its work with basic training, Norwegian Oil and Gas has prioritised preventive safety and first line efforts during hazard and accident situations. There is therefore great emphasis on training personnel that are included in the operations and in preparedness teams to handle hazard and accident situations. See Section 21 of the Activities Regulations.

Norwegian Oil and Gas Association recommended guidelines for Helideck Personnel No.: 074 Established: 01.09.2002 Page: 4 ___________________________________________________________________________

The companies are responsible for ensuring that personnel with preparedness functions are physically and mentally fit for such functions. The operating companies should ensure that necessary co-training with the units involved with the preparedness takes place. The operator is responsible for facilitating this. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES The operating companies are responsible for establishing adequate quality assurance systems to ensure these guidelines are followed. Through affected departments and project groups, the operating companies are responsible for ensuring all participating personnel, both own and hired, possess the qualifications described in these guidelines. The contractors are responsible for ensuring that own employees possess the necessary qualifications before work is carried out for the operating company.

5.

DEFINITIONS/PERSONNEL CATEGORIES Units placed on the seabed or permanently anchored in connection with production and transport of hydrocarbons. Units that carry out contractual work. Fixed facilities and/or mobile facilities connected by gangways. The safety and preparedness training required for all personnel working on the shelf. The safety and preparedness training required to maintain previously learned knowledge and skills. The refresher must be completed within specified timeframes. Training for personnel with preparedness functions. Units (vessels) that carry out contractual work within one or more offshore service functions such as diving, construction and maintenance, preparedness service, cable and pipe-laying, well

Fixed facilities

Mobile facilities Complex Basic training

Refresher training

Advanced training Offshore service vessels

Norwegian Oil and Gas Association recommended guidelines for Helideck Personnel No.: 074 Established: 01.09.2002 Page: 5 ___________________________________________________________________________

stimulation, geologic and/or seismic surveys, supply services, anchor handling and towing.

6.

RECOMMENDATION/APPROVAL HLO training/courses can be organised as a) b) a complete course, or in modules where appropriate.

A precondition for such training to be approved among Norwegian Oil and Gass member companies is that the training location and programme (including model structure) have been approved by Norwegian Oil and Gas.

7.

INTERNAL TRAINING Certain modules can be carried out on board where appropriate, and following an approved programme from Norwegian Oil and Gas.

8.

ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA FOR EQUIVALENT TRAINING Training is not a goal in and of itself, but is meant to provide personnel with the necessary expertise to perform their tasks. It is therefore important to prevent unnecessary overlap. Other training than what is specified can be approved if it provides equivalent expertise. This is clarified through an operating company or Norwegian Oil and Gas.

9.

HELIDECK STAFFING AND EXPERTISE The helideck manual (Item 2.12) describes a minimum staffing of three people on the helideck during helicopter operations. Furthermore, the helideck manual prescribes (Item 2.8) that the crews on the helideck, in addition to completing an HLO course, must have taken part in a minimum of 20 helicopter landings and take-offs before being able to be part of the minimum crew. For certain facilities and vessels involved in the petroleum activities, both the staffing on board and frequency of helicopter landings and take-offs will be so small that it will

Norwegian Oil and Gas Association recommended guidelines for Helideck Personnel No.: 074 Established: 01.09.2002 Page: 6 ___________________________________________________________________________

not be practicable to obtain a sufficient number of landings/take-offs over a reasonable timeframe (one year) for qualification of an entire helideck crew. For such facilities/situations, it will be acceptable that the third helicopter deck crew member can be included as a trainee (under training) given that the person in question, after completing an HLO course, completes a one-day practical training of landing/take-off at a helicopter base with expert guidance. When these guidelines enter into force, the current approved helideck crews (with completed helideck course) will still be considered approved crews on the helideck. When their approved duration for the heliguard course expires, they will be able to complete an HLO refresher course. During the course of one year, all current heliguard crews will be qualified according to the new course programme. The practical restructuring of the routines on the helideck are determined by the operator.