Union protest at Aberdeen offshore helicopter operator

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Offshore union RMT to hold protest at Aberdeen base of Super Puma operator CHC

Offshore union RMT will be joined by Norwegian union colleagues from IE at a protest tomorrow - weds 28th August - 07.30 am outside Super Puma operator CHC's heliport at Aberdeen airport.

As well as demanding action on offshore safety in the wake of friday nights disaster off Shetland, the union will also be calling for an immediate lifting of the ban on union access to offshore crew, an employer orchestrated ban which RMT says compromises safety by denying staff basic rights to organise collectively.

Tomorrows protest will be joined by Leif Sanders from Norwegian offshore union IE and RMT general secretary Bob Crow.

Bob Crow said;

"No one should underestimate the level of grief and anger felt amongst the offshore workforce in light to Friday nights latest disaster. That anger can be seen across the social media sites. 25 years after Piper Alpha the industry is today confronted by another series of basic demands and assurances on worker safety.

" The time has come for the offshore industry to start treating their workforce with respect and dignity and that means no more hollow words on safety and a lifting of the ban on union access to the workforce. A ban where the only objective is weakening collective strength including in the sphere of workplace safety. "
 
About time some fooker steped up and told these feckers what for....oil and gas corps are intrested in one thing and one thing only.......
MOBEY...MONEY...MONEY...
Start putting the saftey of those who earn you that money....

3 major incidents.....piper alpha (rip)...the b.p.rig couple of yrs back (rip)...and now the forth heli ditch ib as many years (rip)..:cry:

GET A FUCCKING GRIP YOU MONEY GRABBING BASTEERDS......:mad::mad::mad:
 
About time, Although it's better to be proactive than reactive no consolation for those that have perished , just hope they saved their money and didn't subscribe to the RMT
 
concord got taken off the runways due to safety!! so why do these puma still get there licence take them away there unsafe or not serviced properly. get a new contract were the men get home safe every time
 
toffs fly by concorde scaffs and other offshore tigers travel by superpumas but a very good post DICO
scaff 19 whatever (sorry) there are major incidents out there that dont get reported all the time.I was involved in a very near MAJOR on a shutdown when the flanges on a riser were opened by mistake and it was the live GAS line i was about 15feet away from it and all i heard was a loud screetching screaming noise and everything went grey.My ear plugs got blown out and my hat went for a wander i was pushed against a steel post before finding the young guy i was looking after and running like feck to the safe haven.
WHEN I TRYED TO PHONE MY WIFE 3 HOURS LATER WHEN WE WERE ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE MUSTER POINT THE PHONES WERE CUT OFF AND IT WASNT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE GAS RELEASE.WE WERE TOLD A PACK OF LIES ABOUT THE 2 GUYS WHO GOT INJURED SAYING THEY WERE OUT IN ABERDEEN THE SAME NIGHT BOOZING AND WATCHING THE FOOTBALL
this was on an fpso owned by a very large shipping drilling and port owner from denmark but its the industry standard.
The Elgin Franklin was minutes away from a "PIPER" type incident a couple of years ago.
The Lomonds Riser "dropped off " and just missed the main pipeline to the Beach which would have sent it to the moon and probably caused a tsunami just last year.
THERES PLENTY NOT REPORTED MATE:mad:
 
There was a so called safety expert in the paper the other day calling on the bears to remain calm and not panic as the incident rate was about right for this type of chopper. Four ditchings in 5 years with a huge loss of life, can you imagine losing a loved one then having to listen to some wee snider trying to tell you the figures are about right?
 
Sorry happy. I didn't realise there was so many incidents out at sea. The three i noted are just the ones i know of....again apolagies to all ...
 
i remember in the late 80s and early 90s people blockading at felixtowe and dove ove rthe way SHEEP were sent to France
AOM and many others WHATR ABOUTN THE CRAMPED conditions we have been sent offshore you open your legs and the guy opposite puts his legs between for feck sake how is that safe?
I have also doubts of the RE-BREATHER as it inflates in water so in the chopper if submerged it has the cannister and opens so in my opinion a struggle to get out the tiny windows
ACTION IS NEEDED WHY NO CHOPPERS DOWN IN NORWAY SAME CONDITIONS JUST BETTER CONTROLS:mad:
 
Exactly.

How many windows or doors did you actually have to rip open during your training? I never done it, imagine trying to find that wee ribbon upside down in a cabin full of water, you have an aisle seat and you are relying on your neighbour getting that window open before double quick. Another thing, why did the thing turn over in the first place? So much for the lifeboat design that will stay afloat in a force 10 gale.
 
They are top heavy as the engine is on the roof so its a no brainer against a 3 metret swell (THATS A GOOD DAY) as was the case in the latest tradgedy:mad:
 
Not what it says on the glossy brochures. Another thing they don't tell you when they are teaching you to get out, where the hell is the rotors?
 
Might be an idea to pop the window out before you even leave the Heliport.
Just to give you a head start! :)

I bet that would go down well with the tech crews, lol.
 
Agree with you Happy , it`s not just the poor safety record of the pumas it`s shocking seating arrangements , if you have an aisle seat and there are couple of lardys at the window seats you are fcuked , s92 seating is much better and you could put the fatties in the ailse seats much easier . I have been doing this job for many years now and even with all the covered up incidents getting on that chopper still fills me with dread .
 
It seemed every other chopper was getting turned back for some reason or another the last time I was out there. I remember oil dripping from the gearbox into the cabin more than once. I think the worst one was when the fuel tank split and the cabin filled with fuel, that was some landing and all sorts of things were racing through my mind when they dropped to sea level in case they had to ditch.
 
Jason-Gibbs said:
Might be an idea to pop the window out before you even leave the Heliport.
Just to give you a head start! :)

I bet that would go down well with the tech crews, lol.
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Especially with the head you have!!! lil

---------- Post added at 09:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:03 AM ----------

When the chopper lands in the water if there is a swell at all it will almost certainly capsize. Thats why they turn you upside down on your bosiet. The 10 seconds or so you are supposed to wait before exiting is to allow the rotors to stop turning when they are under the water.
There was never a chopper like the old S61's. Acres of space, floated like a boat, shaped like a boat. A brilliant old bus.
 
Offshore heliport protest called off as RMT secures full agreement from employers to workforce access.

"Offshore union RMT said tonight that a planned protest at Super Puma operators CHC tomorrow morning has been suspended after agreement was reached in talks this evening with the employers which will meet the unions core demand of guaranteed access to the offshore workforce on platforms and at heliports.

There will now be a rally at RMT's new Aberdeen hq at 106 Crown Street at 11am tomorrow (Wednesday 28th), attended by families of victims of offshore safety failures, where the union will repeat calls for an improved safety regime.

General secretary Bob Crow said

"Following talks with the employers tonight we have secured a massive breakthrough on our core demand of workplace access which will enable us to build an organisation that can fight for real collective improvements to offshore working conditions including on the central issue of safety.

Tomorrow (Wednesday 28th) at 11am we will rally at our new Aberdeen HQ to start that fight for a new and safer future for the whole industry."

This was the latest I saw on the protest.
 
scaffy 1980 said:
Sorry happy. I didn't realise there was so many incidents out at sea. The three i noted are just the ones i know of....again apolagies to all ...
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Not to forget Alexander Kieland as well:sad:

Worst flights I experienced was on the Chinooks when they were in use -service also included trolly dolly soft drinks refreshments.

Manniwieername -There was never a chopper like the old S61's. Acres of space, floated like a boat, shaped like a boat. A brilliant old bus.

Agreed Sikorsky 61 -even though they had a couple of Incidents where fatalitys Occurred
 
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i have had the pleasure of a S61 and remember the headset with radio/music that was in 95 on my first couple of trips.
I remember a chinook landing on the Claymore from Norway and everyone making a fuss over it.Then i found out from my wee uncle of the incident on the cormorants when one went down.
 
I witnessed a crew change at five past midnight (last night) Norwegian chc. It wasn't the first night time crew changes I witnessed in the past 5 weeks. Just two weeks ago, another chopper was due on deck at about 22.30 hrs.... Radio op told me that it left the beach, but for a 40 min flight and an hour had passed...there was still no sign.... I could see the worry crossing the face of the radio op, thinking the worst.... The beach never informed radio ops that the bird was having technical difficulties and had turned back.....transferred the crew to another whirlybird and again, it was almost midnight before that got here.... What does one do? Night time choppers?
 
Can anyone remember the Stena Jamonica a Cruse Liner the Operators used in the 80's, set sail from Aberdeen with a full Brent Field crew change, what a feckin carry on...anyway, the Powers that be should be looking at more room in the choppers, as Mannie said the old 61's were spaciouse...more room is the way forward...
 
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