Police Aviation News November 2008

Police Aviation News November 2008 19
UKRAINE
The Ministry of Emergencies of Ukraine and Eurocopter
signed a contract for the acquisition of two Eurocopter EC145
helicopters to be based in the Kiev region, they will be used
for a wide range of missions that cover rescue, emergency
medical evacuation and fire fighting. The aircrafts will be delivered
next year.
UNITED KINGDOM
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA): In a recent article
The Scotsman newspaper highlighted areas of potential conflict
between the needs of the SAR mission and the European
Working Time Directive. The ‘Directive, which came into effect
in 1998, was designed to protect the health and safety of
workers but it was always known that it would not fit well with
all situations – particularly with the emergency services.
Regulations introduced a statutory limit on average weekly
hours of work; a legal entitlement to paid leave; and new laws
on rest breaks, night work and shift patterns. They specify a
maximum of 48 hours in the working week, averaging out over
17 weeks.
Action by a Sumburgh SAR crew highlighted these uncertainties
about the Directive on hours and rest periods, which
could put the UK air/sea safety service out of action if not resolved.
Under the regulations, SAR crews can work for a maximum of
2,000 hours a year. Previous practice had been to discount
50% of a 24-hour shift if the crew was not called out but crews
became concerned that non-flying time was not being discounted
and they had exceeded, or were about to exceed,
their limit and could face possible censure.
Although the employer was not pre-warned the Sumburgh
‘stand-down’ action was covered by nearby SAR resources.
Now, perhaps jolted by the wake-up call, talks are underway
to set up a permanent formal agreement that works within the
working time regulations.
Many voiced reservations about the adoption of both the Sikorsky
S92 and the AgustaWestland AW139 when they were
destined for introduction to service with the MCA under the
new UK Coastguard contract last year. The two different types
replaced the elderly Sikorsky S61 in service. The doubters
were disregarded at the time but in time the weaknesses in
both types have now surfaced to give credence to their worries.
At first it was the Sikorsky’s based in northern Scotland that
came under the spotlight after it became clear that the basic
airframe did not possess the range capability of the S61 it replaced
and then that the long-range fuel tank was taking up
an inordinate amount of cabin space. The MCA’s answer has
been not to fit the tank as standard—bringing about a few
‘wait a minute’ moments for those in peril on the sea as it is
presumably fitted. Time as I understand it is of the essence..