Bond Offshore Helicopters join safety organisation

ONE of the helicopter companies involved in two Super Puma ditchings in the North Sea last year has become the first aircraft operator to become a member of the offshore industry’s main safety organisation.

• Bond Offshore Helicopters has become a full member of Step Change In Safety

• The aim of the organisation is to make the UK the safest place to work in the global oil and gas industry

• Last year a Bond-operated Super Puma EC 225 made a controlled ditching after a low oil pressure warning

It was announced today that Bond Offshore Helicopters has become a full member of Step Change In Safety, founded in 1997 with the aim of making the UK the safest place to work in the global oil and gas industry.

Member organisations are charged with the responsibility of supporting and promoting Step Change In Safety’s strategies and principles, as well implementing these within their companies in order to make the working environment safer in the oil and gas sector.

In May last year a Bond-operated Super Puma EC 225, with two crew and 12 passengers on board, made a controlled ditching 25 miles east of Aberdeen after a low oil pressure warning. It is one of the two ditching incidents still under investigation.

A spokeswoman for Bond said: “Bond Offshore Helicopters operates in the challenging environment of the North Sea, where safety awareness is critical to the success of the mission. Bond’s ‘Mission Safe’ culture, puts a commitment to safety and operational excellence at the heart of all of its activities; from office, to hanger, to cockpit. Through its parent company, the Avincis Group, Bond has access to world-class safety management systems and processes to support the objective of zero accidents.”

Luke Farajallah, managing director of the helicopter company, said: “The safety of our customers, crew and everyone we work with is fundamental to the culture of Bond Offshore Helicopters. Membership of Step Change In Safety puts Bond at the forefront of embedding these values across the oil and gas industry,”.

Les Linklater, the team leader of Step Change In Safety said: “We are delighted to welcome Bond Offshore Helicopters to the membership of Step Change in Safety. Bond have, since its inception, actively participated in the Helicopter Safety Steering Group and by becoming full members, have made a demonstrable commitment to Step Change. The on-going safety of our helicopter operations is crucial if we are to meet vision of being the safest place to work in the worldwide oil and gas industry.”