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Safe travels in ice and snow

Oilfield Technology,


Ice and snow can pose severe challenges to oil and gas workers, especially during the critical transportation stage.

Earlier this year, passengers at the Bristow facility in Stavanger could see from the terminal the obstacle to a timely departure – an icy and snow-clogged path from the terminal to the aircraft. Isn’t winter great?


In addition to providing helicopter transport services for energy companies and others, Bristow is a leader in search and rescue (SAR) services.

Safety hazard

Bristow recognised that the pathway presented a safety hazard. So it had to think fast to come up with a solution to keep flying while making sure passenger safety was not compromised. A quick suggestion led to a unique solution: ice spikes!

The next challenge: “How quickly can you get 100 pairs of ice spikes to a heliport?” Pretty quickly, when you have a team of dedicated employees calling every local store.

Now the inbound passengers were able to attach the spikes to their shoes when disembarking the aircraft. One by one, they safely made it across the icy path. Outbound passengers did the reverse - putting on the spikes in the terminal for a safe walk to their departing flight.

Thinking outside the icebox

The novel idea ensured the team could maintain operations as normal, without compromising on safety.  With winter just around the corner, Bristow’s teams are ready to think “outside the icebox” again.


Edited from various sources by Cecilia Rehn

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/drilling-and-production/15102014/helicopter-operator-ensures-safe-travels-for-oil-and-gas-workers-in-ice-and-snow/

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