Use of helicopters has become commonplace as a means of evacuating persons from ships following an accident at sea, for rendering medical assistance, for damage control and salvage purposes and for landing specialist firefighting personnel and pilots on board. It has therefore become essential that provision is made for such missions on board ships. Such facilities include an area over which a helicopter can safely operate.
Most helicopter operations are successfully executed, primarily due to the skill of helicopter crews.
However, these operations are often of a hazardous nature and their success can be better assured if owners, masters and officers take all relevant safety aspects into account before making sutiable preparations.
Mandatory appropriate facilities and preparations require winching and lower hover areas to be properly equipped.
This applies to the helicopter landing areas fitted on board. Applicable provisions are based on requirements which were adopted at the 1995 SOLAS Diplomatic Conference.
Ref.: Revision of SOLAS Chapt. II-2/18, Chapter III/28
Standards mentioned in SOLAS are based upon resolution A.855(20) dated 27. November 1997.
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