Offshore Aviation Industry Safety Survey

In January 2023, with support from the IOGP Aviation Sub-Committee (ASC), HeliOffshore ran a cross-industry survey to help understand the state of certain elements of the offshore helicopter sector. The survey was shared widely through helicopter operators, including to frontline staff, as well with energy company customers. In total, more than 1,000 responses were received, and this report presents the analysis of those responses. The results paint a mixed picture of the industry in terms of safety performance improvement.

This survey was similar to one undertaken by HeliOffshore two years prior. Many of the questions aimed to measure the change over the last 12 months to see the ‘direction of travel’ rather than an absolute rating, with the associated subjectivity. The survey included questions across the following areas:

  • Demographic Information

  • Safety and Quality Processes

  • Airworthiness and Supply Chain

  • Flight Crew Training

  • Ground Operations and Helidecks

  • Workforce

  • Remote Working

  • Future Risk

“The responses and comments contained in the survey arguably provide some of the best ‘leading indicators’ we could hope for - a description of the experience of working in the industry today, of ‘work as done’ rather than ‘work as imagined’.

Please click on the link below to access a summary of the survey. HeliOffshore is leading work or plans to partner in a number of areas highlighted by this survey, including:

  • Fatigue Risk Management in Maintenance

  • Developing indicators to anticipate future supply chain demand

  • Digital Twin modelling to highlight regional variations in operational risk

  • Establishment of observational programmes in the cockpit (LOSA) and the hangar (Maintenance Observation programmes like MPPM) to reveal system weaknesses in real-time and drive effective action.

HeliOffshore members have access to the full report via the Members’ Space. Any questions arising from this report can be raised directly with members of the HeliOffshore team or via info@helioffshore.org.

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Operational Effectiveness Workstream