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What happened?
A helicopter was coming into land on a helideck.
Helideck crew surveyed the area for objects. All loose items were to be secured or removed.
Crew assembled under the helideck, awaiting the landing. Landing officer signalled ‘clear’ instructions to the pilot.
As the helicopter came into land, a passenger saw an object blown over the handrail onto the deck 48ft (14.5m) below.
The downdraft of the helicopter had blown over the cover of a storage unit of a personnel transfer device.
The cover weighed 54lbs (24.5kg) and was made of fibreglass and aluminium.
No one was injured, but the incident had fatality potential.
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Why did it happen?
The helideck crew did not ensure the storage unit cover was secure prior to the helicopter landing.
Three out of the four holding clips on the storage unit cover were broken.
The task permit/job safety analysis did not mention the cover for inspection.
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What did they learn?
Physically inspect all cover holding clips in helidecks and high wind areas. Repair and replace if needed.
Include regular checks of cover clips as part of the preventative maintenance program.
Confirm that helideck crews pre-checks include all items that might be affected by downdraft. Ensure the items are secured or removed.
Maintain good levels of tidiness in helicopter take off areas.
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Ask yourself or your crew
What checks do we do in preparation of helicopter landings? What more can we do?
What should you do if you saw an unsecured object or hazard? What is our hazard reporting process?
What can go wrong during today’s scheduled landing? How can we prevent it?
What regular preventative maintenance is performed on our helideck?
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What happened?
A helicopter was coming into land on a helideck.
Helideck crew surveyed the area for objects. All loose items were to be secured or removed.
Crew assembled under the helideck, awaiting the landing. Landing officer signalled ‘clear’ instructions to the pilot.
As the helicopter came into land, a passenger saw an object blown over the handrail onto the deck 48ft (14.5m) below.
The downdraft of the helicopter had blown over the cover of a storage unit of a personnel transfer device.
The cover weighed 54lbs (24.5kg) and was made of fibreglass and aluminium.
No one was injured, but the incident had fatality potential.
Why did it happen?
The helideck crew did not ensure the storage unit cover was secure prior to the helicopter landing.
Three out of the four holding clips on the storage unit cover were broken.
The task permit/job safety analysis did not mention the cover for inspection.
What did they learn?
Physically inspect all cover holding clips in helidecks and high wind areas. Repair and replace if needed.
Include regular checks of cover clips as part of the preventative maintenance program.
Confirm that helideck crews pre-checks include all items that might be affected by downdraft. Ensure the items are secured or removed.
Maintain good levels of tidiness in helicopter take off areas.
Ask yourself or your crew
What checks do we do in preparation of helicopter landings? What more can we do?
What should you do if you saw an unsecured object or hazard? What is our hazard reporting process?
What can go wrong during today’s scheduled landing? How can we prevent it?
What regular preventative maintenance is performed on our helideck?
The cover of a storage unit was blown off a helideck by a helicopter downdraft, to the deck 48ft (14.5m) below. No one was injured, but the incident had fatality potential.
