Helicopter guidelines for land seismic & helirig operations - OGP

Helicopter guidelines for land seismic & helirig operations
Annex H
Fatigue management programmes
A documented plan should be implemented for a Fatigue Management Plan (FMP) by the
Helicopter Provider. Due to the nature of land seismic and helirig flying, specifically heliportable
operations, pilot workload is high. To adequately address fatigue issues of repetitive
lifting operations and multiple landings, it is important that all operators identify areas where
crew may need additional guidance to insure adequate rest and thus mitigate against acute and
chronic fatigue arising from these types of activities.
A fatigue management plan will help to address these concerns as they relate to the operators
specific pilots and engineers. The operator will identify areas where controls need to be
implemented or a variance granted to better suit a particular programme, or geographic area, thus
allowing greater operational flexibility while still maintaining safety sensitive issues that arise
from flight duty/workload and their effects on fatigue. It should be submitted to the Aviation
Advisors during operational planning. This plan should include all air crew (both pilots and
engineers) and any safety sensitive support crews (fuel truck drivers, loadmasters, etc...)
Fatigue can be defined as increasing difficulty in performing physical or mental activities. Signs
of fatigue include tiredness even after sleep, psychological disturbances, loss of energy and
inability to concentrate. Fatigue can lead to incidents because pilots and engineers may not be
alert and may be less able to respond to changing circumstances. As well as these immediate
problems, fatigue can lead to long term health problems.
Acute fatigue is caused by immediate episodes of sleep deprivation, ie because of long periods
of wakefulness from excessively long shifts which can compound into chronic fatigue (daily,
weekly, monthly and in extreme cases annually) without adequate daytime rest.
Ongoing sleep disruption can lead to sleep debt and chronic sleep deprivation, placing individuals
in a state of increased risk to themselves, their passengers and the general public. It results in:
• Unpleasant muscular weariness
• Tiredness in everyday activities
• Reduced coordination and alertness
If sleep deprivation continues, work performance can deteriorate even further (chronic
fatigue). As a number of helicopter accidents are directly related to human performance issues,
establishing an effective fatigue management plan should be a priority.
Causes of fatigue can result from features of the work and workplace and from features of a
pilots/engineers life outside work. Levels of work-related fatigue are similar for different
individuals performing the same tasks. Work-related fatigue can and should be measured
and managed at an organizational level. Non-work related causes vary considerably between
individuals. Nonworking related fatigue is best managed at an individual level. This is where
training and education programmes should be considered by the Helicopter Provider to further
allow personnel to recognize individual symptoms and areas that may contribute to either acute
or chronic fatigue outside the work place.
Fatigue management programmes should aim to achieve the following:
• Reduce fatigue and improve the on-duty alertness of pilots, engineers and other safety
sensitive positions.
• Reflect the nature of the operations conducted by the company including anticipated and
existing conditions.
© OGP
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