General CAP 437 overview
CAP 437 presents the criteria required by the CAA in assessing the standards of offshore helicopter landing areas for worldwide use by helicopters registered in the UK.
These landing areas may be located on:
- Fixed offshore installations;
- Mobile offshore installations;
- Vessels supporting offshore mineral exploitation;
- Offshore wind farms; or
- Other vessels, e.g. tankers, cargo vessels, passenger vessels.
The criteria in this publication relating to fixed and mobile installations in the area of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), whether they are operating for oil and gas or renewable energy sectors, provide standards which are accepted by the HSE and referred to in HSE offshore legislation.
The criteria address minimum standards required in order to achieve a clearance which will attract no helicopter performance (payload) limitations. CAP 437 is an amplification of internationally agreed standards contained in ICAO Annex 14 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Volume II, ‘Heliports’.
Additionally, it provides advice on ‘best practice’ obtained from many aviation sources. ‘Best practices’, naturally, should be moving forward continuously, and it should be borne in mind that CAP 437 reflects ‘current’ best practice at the time of publication.
There may be alternative equivalent means of meeting the criteria presented in CAP 437, which will be considered on their merits.
Additional criteria are given relating to vessels used in support of offshore mineral exploitation or renewable energy, which are not necessarily subject to HSE offshore regulation and also for other vessels such as tanker, cargo and passenger vessels.
In this publication, the term ‘helideck’ refers to all helicopter landing areas on fixed or floating offshore facilities used for the exploration or exploitation of oil and gas or exploitation of renewable energies. For helicopter landing areas on vessels, the ICAO term ‘shipboard heliport’ may be used in preference to ‘helideck’.
As standards for best practice, this document applies the term “should” when referring to either an ICAO Standard or a Recommended Practice. The term “may” is used when a variation or alternative approach could be acceptable to the CAA.
The UK HSE accepts that conformance with CAP 437 will demonstrate compliance with applicable offshore regulations. CAP 437 is under continuous review resulting from technological developments and experience; comments are always welcome on its application in practice. The CAA should be contacted on matters relating to interpretation and applicability of these standards and Aviation Law.
Meteorological observations
In addition to the data covered by paragraph 6.3, it is strongly recommended that installations are provided with an automated means of ascertaining the following meteorological information at all times:
- wind speed and direction (including variations in direction);
- air temperature and dew point temperature;
- QNH and, where applicable, QFE;
- cloud amount and height of base (Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL));
- visibility; and
- present weather.
Reporting of meteorological information
Up-to-date, accurate meteorological information is used by helicopter operators for flight planning purposes and by crews to facilitate the safe operation of helicopters in the take-off and landing phases of flight.
Reports should be provided by the Met Observer at the installation concerned and not by Met Observers located on neighbouring installations or from standby boats in the vicinity.
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