There has been a great deal of discussion here about reducing the pax numbers on acft and whether it should be driven by the helicopter operator or oil company, and clearly this is a balance between operating economics, safety and comfort. But in most forms of transport the balance between particularly safety and economics is set not by the operator or customer but by the manufacturer of the car/bus/vessel/aircraft in certification, when the seating capacity is specified. No one seems to have mentioned this aspect recently. Should not responsibility be fundamentally placed on (in this instance) Eurocopter to set the appropriate seating capacity? Accepting that if an operator or customer wants more comfort or space (rather than significantly more safety) a more spacious "executive" seating layout is optional.
Being responsible for setting criteria for acceptable safety (and let's face it, it can always be improved if money is no object) is a very onerous task and in general it is best set by the one, arguably most knowledgable, organisation to avoid exposure to criticism and alleged negligence in the event of accidents.