Offshore Helicopter Services UK wins North Sea contract extension
OHSUK has won an eight-year SAR contract extension.
Offshore Helicopter Services UK (OHSUK) has won an eight-year contract extension to supply North Sea search and rescue (SAR) services covering up to 10,000 offshore workers until at least 2032. The company is acquiring two new bespoke Leonardo AW139 helicopters to help fulfil the contract.
The operator has worked with the offshore energy sector for the past 12 months to design the new helicopters and equip the SAR crews with the latest technologies. Fitted as standard equipment to both AW139s will be night vision goggles for all crew and a redesigned cabin layout. The aircraft have also been equipped with a bright blue and orange livery.
Based in Aberdeen, SAR crews cover a wide area of the North Sea ensuring 24/7 medical emergency cover throughout. The company claims a response time of as little as 15 minutes from tasking to a crew being in the air.
Nearly 1,000 call outs
During the past 10 years OHSUK SAR crews have attended nearly 1,000 call outs, according to MD Andy Rodden. “That number shows just how vital the service is to those working offshore,” said Rodden. “We will use that experience to ensure our SAR teams are able to evolve and have access to the best equipment for the next decade to ensure that they are ready and prepared to respond to incidents at any time.”
Rodden described the contract extension as a new era for the service. “Securing a long-term deal shows the trust our partners have in the service and our ability to support their workforce, often when they are at their most vulnerable,” he said. “The contract is excellent news for OHSUK, oil and gas participants and for the offshore energy sector as a whole.”
The Industry Search and Rescue contract is funded and supported by partners from across the energy sector. As part of the initiative, SAR crews take part in training flights, highlighting their continued commitment to the safety and security of personnel offshore. The Industry SAR is separate to the SAR service funded by the UK Department for Transport Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
All-weather capability
David Punchard, Search and Rescue flight manager, OHSUK said the SAR fleet had all-weather capability and are ready to respond around the clock 365 days of the year. “The majority of the tasking is medevac, retrieval of injured people offshore, with a portion of that being search and rescue,” he said. “We have the capability to respond to a wide range of incidents to provide a high level of medical care and rescue provision, but in an extreme environment, and get them to a place of safety as quickly as possible.”
Now part of Ultimate Aviation Group, OHSUK was formerly known as Babcock under its ownership by Babcock International. The organisation launched emergency helicopter services in the North Sea in 2015.
Meanwhile, pictured above is David Punchard, SAR flight manager, Andy Rodden, MD, OHSU and paramedic and winchman Andrew Cowx. (Photocredit: Euan Duff).
