GOVERNMENT RULES OUT NORTH SEA HELICOPTER SAFETY INQUIRY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2014 :: RMTnews 4 RMT has slammed the government for refusing to conduct a "full and independent" inquiry into North Sea helicopter safety demanded by The House of Commons Transport Committee earlier this year. The Transport Committee report published in July had said that a recent review into offshore helicopter safety by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had not looked at the impact of commercial pressure on helicopter safety. It had looked into helicopter safety after four people died in a Super Puma crash near Sumburgh airport in Shetland in August last year. It was the fifth helicopter accident involving the transfer of oil and gas industry personnel in the North Sea since 2009. The government has now dismissed the report and said that it "does not support" the call for a public inquiry. "It is true that competition for contracts, particularly where contracts are offered at short notice or awarded at a lower price, may impact on the ability of the operator to recruit and train for a new commitment but there is no evidence to suggest this is the case,” a statement said. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the union was appalled that the government had point blank refused to hold the full independent and public inquiry into helicopter safety that has been an absolute core demand from the workforce. “An inquiry would have gone some way toward dispelling existing concerns which continue to undermine workforce confidence. “The failure to agree to a public inquiry leads to the obvious question, “what have you got to hide? “This response from the government to the Transport Committee represents a complete failure to get to grips with the safety issue in the offshore industry and will send out a wholly negative signal. “RMT will continue to fight for a public inquiry and will continue to support the families of those who have lost loved- ones in our industry. The fight for the safety of offshore workers goes on,” he said. Transport committee chair Louise Ellman said that she was deeply disappointed that ministers had rejected their recommendations. "This is a regrettable decision for the loved ones and relatives of people killed in offshore helicopter accidents. “It sends the wrong signal to people who continue to work in the offshore industry,” she said. The transport committee had learned that offshore workers who raise concerns about helicopter safety had been told they should leave the oil and gas industry and that there was a "macho bullying culture". A further call in the transport committee's report for the CAA to conduct a joint review with the Norwegian offshore industry into safety has been agreed to along with meetings with helicopter crash survivors. GOVERNMENT RULES OUT NORTH SEA HELICOPTER SAFETY INQUIRY Tory/Lib Dem coalition block investigation into commercial pressures affecting safety in offshore sector