Response from Malcolm Webb, Chief Executive,
Oil & Gas UK
I write ahead of the Government's formal response
to the Transport Select Committee's report on Offshore Helicopter
Safety published on 30th June, to advise that Oil &
Gas UK does not support the conclusions of your Committee's report,
including your call for a Public Inquiry. Our reasons can be summarised
as follows:
1. The Committee has taken a report of a single,
3-word quote taken out of context to substantiate a wholly unfounded
finding that there is a "macho bullying culture" in
the industry. The fact that the quote was made is hugely regrettable
but it is in no way reflective of the industry position regarding
safety. A better and more representative example of the industry's
attitude to safety and aviation safety in particular, would have
been to note that when concerns about the gear shafts arose following
a EC225 aircraft ditching in May 2012 the industry, helicopter
and oil company operators plus contractors and trade unions acting
together, took the unprecedented step to call a "time out
for safety" and voluntarily grounded all the relevant aircraft
at considerable cost and operational disruption whilst checks
were undertaken. The industry similarly took a "time out
for safety" following the AS332 L2 helicopter crash in August
2013, voluntarily grounding the aircraft until AAIB had confirmed
the cause of the crash was not mechanical. Furthermore on bringing
the aircraft back into service the industry expressly acknowledged
and respected the right of any individual not wishing to fly not
to be required to do so. Many other examples of the industry's
care, concern and positive actions regarding safety were available
to your Committee had it chosen to enquire. Damning a whole industry
on one isolated, unrepresentative incident is both unfair and
unworthy of your Committee and certainly no grounds to call for
a public inquiry.
2. Similarly the Committee's acceptance of wholly
unsubstantiated allegations of commercial pressure being brought
to bear on helicopter operators to relax their safety standards
is an alarmingly weak evidence base from which to attempt to justify
a plea for such an inquiry. Oil & Gas UK has repeatedly requested
anyone having any such evidence to come forward, either in person
or anonymously, but none has ever been forthcoming. The simple
truth is that no such pressure has been applied and if it were
sought to be applied then none of the helicopter operators operating
in this country would succumb to it. Not only are their professional
standards of operation far too high for there to be any risk of
that but equally nobody would be so foolish to do so in view of
the ethical, regulatory and commercial damage which would inevitably
result from such wholly irresponsible behaviour.
3. Finally at a time when the CAA is in the process
of implementing the 61 actions and recommendations contained in
its report of 20 February 2014 which, as far as we are aware,
has been broadly accepted by all of the engaged stakeholders as
a strong and useful contribution to UK helicopter safety on the
UKCS, we find it alarming that your committee should suggest that
the CAA and the industry as a whole should now be distracted
from that work and be subjected to a Public Inquiry seemingly
intended to question the CAA's very competence as an aviation
regulator. In our opinion not a shred of evidence has been presented
to your Committee to justify such an inquiry into the CAA's competence.
Furthermore, we firmly believe that what is most important now,
in terms of the safety of UKCS helicopter transport and hence
that of the men and women working on the UKCS, is that the CAA
should now be given the time and space to properly complete its
work to implement its report in collaboration with the Industry
and Unions through the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group.
In our opinion the CAA should get on with and not be distracted
from that work with a Public Inquiry of the type your Committee
envisages.
I am copying this to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary
of State at the Department of Transport for his information.
31 July 2014
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