Orga presents best practice in offshore helideck lighting at Brazil’s 4th International Offshore Helideck Seminar
Orga gives guidance on CAP 437 helideck lighting requirements at exclusive offshore helideck seminar in Rio de Janeiro to help shape Brazil’s aviation safety regulatory regime.
Daniel Powell, Business Manager Helideck at Orga has just returned from Rio de Janeiro having presented guidance on UK CAP 437 8th edition requirements for helideck lighting at the 4th International Offshore Helideck Seminar, 21–22 March.
Held at the RB1 Convention Centre, the exclusive invitation-only seminar was organised by SOBENA, The Brazilian Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and supported by the Brazilian Navy (Directorate of Ports and Coast (DPC)) – the authority responsible for the Brazilian Helideck Regulation NORMAM-27 and for the inspection and certification of helidecks operating in Brazilian waters.
With a number of new helideck standards recently implemented – ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Heliport Design and Services Manual (Part II), CAP 437 8th edition issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) and the NORMAM-27 Rev.1 Mod.2 in Brazil – the seminar offered a unique opportunity for specialists and non-specialists to come together and understand how these new standards will affect helideck design, construction and operation.
Offshore aviation experts from oil companies, engineering companies, shipyards, integration yards, platform operators and all relevant authorities heard from a range of speakers including Kevin Payne, UK CAA policy specialist on helidecks and heliports and rapporteur of the ICAO Heliport Design Working Group (HDWG) offshore sub-group.
Payne, who produced the document which forms the basis for the ICAO helideck standard and is responsible for the 8th edition of CAP 437, made presentations focusing on each regulatory framework.
Other presentations were by Shell Americas on helideck inspection in the Gulf of Mexico, PETROBRAS, on helideck inspection methods in Brazil and DPC on the new Brazilian helideck standard among others.
Powell joined the selected few European helideck equipment manufacturers deemed the best in their field to present on “Recent developments in helideck lighting, in compliance with CAP 437 8th edition”.
Having participated at the 3rd International Offshore Helideck seminar in 2012, Powell was delighted to be invited back again to present an update on CAP 437 requirements including Orga’s latest work with the UK CAA on new trials for the Helideck Monitoring System.
Powell said: “The seminar is about best practice in offshore helidecks. The discussion on current CAP437 and ICAO requirements allows Brazil to maintain their own standard, NORMAM-27, to the highest level.
“It was an honour to be invited back again to Rio for the 4th International Offshore Helideck Seminar to join elite speakers and assist the Brazilian authorities on their continuing journey to update NORMAM-27 with best practice from around the world. We hope to assist all our clients to understand these regulations and the changes. This is not only in the technology required but also the spirit of how they have been written and the wish of the regulators in their implementation.”
