Theoretical aspects
Helideck emergency response capacity
Pre-planning of the emergency response
- HLO HERTL role and responsibilities
- Pre-planning of helideck emergency response
- Main elements of an emergency response plan
- How authorities get involved in emergencies on helicopters (Coastguard)
Possible emergency scenarios, HLO HERTL and HDA HERTM requisites:
- Helicopter crash on deck
- Engine fire
- Fire on an offshore installation or boats
- Fire during helicopter refuelling
- Fuel fires
- Emergency landing on helideck
- Attempted landing without landing gear
- Evacuation and emergency procedures to be followed on the helicopter (medical evacuation)
- Use of helicopter for overboard man rescue
- Events which can have a strong effect on flights safety
- Fuel contamination
- Blocked /obstructed Helideck
- Landing on the wrong deck or installation
- Installation or boat state changes (MODU) when the helicopter is on a deck
- General objectives for firefighting safety on helidecks and how to achieve them
- Offshore training and onshore training (with and without fire)
Emergency and control systems on helidecks and on helicopters
- Firefighting equipment and fixed systems on helideck and foam equipment performance requirements
- Rapid foam production
- Reliability – recurrent tests
- roofing
- Foam quality
- Deck integrated fire fighting systems
- Mobile firefighting equipment on helideck
- Minimal rescue equipment on helidecks (international guidelines)
- Helicopter emergency systems and check that can be undertaken by HLO, HDA and HERTM
- Engine switch-off
- Fuel isolation
- Fixed firefighting systems and protection systems
Emergency response requirements
- Planning in case of helicopter emergencies on unmanned installations, with limited emergency response capacity:
- Helicopter on deck
- No helicopter on deck
- It is important that the HLO reviews and updates the emergency response procedures (unattended installations)
- Firefighting and rescue equipment requirements, extinguishing means requirements on unattended installations
- Limited accommodations on unattended installations, if the personnel must stay for longer than expected
- First aid material positioning on unattended installations
- Considering evacuation from unattended installations in case helicopters are not available
HLO HERTL roles and responsibilities
- HLO role and responsibilities during a helicopter emergency
- Deputy HLO
- Briefing with the installation Offshore Emergency Response Team Leader- in case of assistance to the helideck emergency
- Possible dangers during the emergency response: fire, electricity, helicopter materials, dangerous goods load, stabilizers activation
- Specific PPE for HLO and HERTM
- How different typologies of helicopters can influence on the emergency response
- Operations with breathing apparatuses
- Search and rescue techniques
- Points to consider in case the helicopter must be secured to the helideck
- Equipment and checks
- Firefighting equipment
- Environmental conditions and changes evaluation and their influence on the emergency response
- Dynamic risks evaluation during the emergency response
- Human factors effects on the emergency response (stress effects on decisions, recognition of stress)
- How to keep calm if leading emergency operations
- Ask for help if overwhelmed by the emergency situation
- Effective communication with all the personnel involved in the emergency response
- How to lead the team in a clear and decisive way
- To lead the entry into the accident area, considering the emergency team safety
- Effective distribution of roles
- To obtain feedbacks on the plan progresses
- HERMT stress recognition and management.
- To supervise firefighting operations (including the extinction of a fire engine through CO2 extensible applicator)
- How to react to a helideck fire on unattended installations (with limited firefighting equipment)
- How to check the breathing apparatuses functions
- Fixed and mobile firefighting system use
- Dynamic evaluation of emergency risks
- Spare emergency team use (briefing with the team leader)
- Missing personnel and victim management:
- priorities
- number of missing people
- injured people management
Practical sessions
- Emergency entry and exit (on helicopter and on helideck)
- To keep an escape route from the accident area
- Emergency response (no fire)
- Firefighting equipment choice according to the type of accident
- Use of firefighting fixed monitors
- Use of mobile and portable firefighting equipment (including fire extinguishers)
- Response to Class A fires caused by helicopter accidents
- Response to Class B fires caused by helicopter accidents
- How to unroll hoses and consequent dangers
- Localisation, extrication and management of missing person and victim after a helicopter accident on helideck
- Breathing apparatuses checks
- Use of breathing apparatuses
