Simulator adds realism to helicopter escape routines
Improved training in underwater helicopter escape is available from Scandinavian Safety Training Center (SSTC). Recent incidents in the North Sea attest to the importance of such training for offshore personnel and helicopter crews.
SSTC is the first company in the world to acquire the MWH-6, the new Multiway HUET, or helicopter underwater escape trainer, developed by Lamor Subsea of Finland. The HUET is a simulator which recreates on a reduced scale the passenger cabin of a helicopter. Trainees sit inside while it is released into the water and then follow the instructions they have been given on pushing out the windows or doors and making their escape.
But the MWH-6 has much greater capabilities than its predecessor, the so-called Dunker simulator. While the Dunker can only be turned left or right in the horizontal plane, the MWH-6 can turn 360º in both the horizontal and vertical planes. Once in the water, it can be taken through any sequence of positions, including turning upside down. And, whereas the Dunker is lowered slowly into the water, the MWH-6 can be dropped in.
“This makes the training much more realistic, as we can simulate a real helicopter crash at sea,” says marketing manager Anders Henriksson. The simulator can also be configured in the form of different helicopter types. It is fitted with emergency lighting around the doors and windows, allowing escape to be practiced in the dark.
The first courses with the MWH-6 were due to take place last month at SSTC’s headquarters outside Gothenburg. Each course provides training for up to eight personnel over a period of a day and a half. It starts with half a day’s theoretical work in the classroom, followed by eight hours of practical training in the water. Trainees are gradually prepared for the underwater escape exercise, to minimize the chances of anyone panicking.
During the exercise two instructors are present in the simulator with the trainees, while divers follow what is happening from outside. If anyone panics, the instructors sound the alarm by pushing a panic button and the simulator is lifted out of the water within seconds.
SSTC is applying for Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF) membership which it can offer courses to Norway’s offshore industry.
For more information, contact Anders Henriksson, SSTC. Tel +46 76 10 99 273, fax +46 304 562 68,[email protected], www.sstcab.se