New faces, new roles: supporting HeliOffshore’s safety mission

In August, the HeliOffshore team was strengthened with two experienced appointments – Jim Evans and Scott Allan joined as Operations Director and Technical Director respectively.

Jim and Scott have spent the last few months meeting and speaking with members and the wider industry as they plan strategic priorities for 2023 and beyond.

As we approach the year's end, we asked them for reflections on their first few months supporting HeliOffshore's safety mission.

Tell us about your first few months in the role?

Jim: I think a major takeaway has been how incredibly engaged and motivated our members and the wider industry are with our mission of ensuring no lives are lost in offshore aviation. From collaborating with different working groups to attending industry events around the world, there is a real sense of collective responsibility to drive forward safety culture. One highlight has been attending the IOGP Aviation Sub-Committee meeting in Doha – it was such a fantastic opportunity to connect with peers from across the globe. It was abundantly evident that everyone is pulling in the same direction.

Scott: Absolutely. Every operator, OEM, and member I’ve spoken with has been hugely supportive and engaged – and the relationships we’ve started to build already feel really solid. It’s exciting and hugely motivating. I’ve been able to travel around bases and operations and meet with both management and the frontline to get first-hand views on the challenges they are facing. One thing I’m particularly keen to continue is connecting the frontline with our mission. I’ve been able to sit down with engineers in the hangers and it’s clear there is a real appetite to be involved with, and contribute to, the industry’s safety mission.

What work have you been doing to support HeliOffshore’s safety mission?

Jim: in just a short space of time, we’ve been able to publish a new Master Minimum Helideck Equipment List (MMHEL) reference document, as well as new research on pilot monitoring. The response has been fantastic. It really is a testament to the input from our members that we are able to generate the quality of insights and outputs we have in these last few months; and just as importantly, the willingness to take away learnings and implement them.

Scott: I’ve spent a lot of time going through the past technical workstreams HeliOffshore has undertaken, reconnecting with members previously involved, as well as finding new individuals keen to contribute.  I’ve also spent a great deal of time looking at external reports and research to connect them with our own workstreams. The CAA, IOGP, and other bodies have all produced reports on maintenance resilience and checks for technical and performance staff, and it’s been important to collate their thoughts and findings as we collectively create a gold standard of recommended practices for the industry – which we will deliver in the New Year.

Have there been any challenges?

Jim: one challenge has been quickly getting up-to-speed with all the work already underway. The team has been fantastic in not just providing me with deep knowledge of our workstreams, but also connecting me with members and facilitating effective engagements and relationships. I have to say, Steve Hazlehurst has been invaluable in introducing me to the Operational Effectiveness, Helideck, and Wind Farm Working groups. He’s done such a brilliant job covering so much ground and really deserves huge recognition for this.

Scott: my recent background has been working for large operators in the North Sea in particular, but one thing that is so clear to me is that this is a global effort to ensure no lives are lost, and in order to ensure we can meet our mission, I have spent a lot of time connecting with members around the world, both large and small. When I attended the European Rotors event, I was so impressed with the smaller operators I met – while they may not have the budgets and people power to commit as much time and resources, their insights and passion to deliver real and lasting change cannot be understated. It is hugely important their voices are heard.