Although it has been said many times before, the message has not yet been absorbed. There is a distinction between the Certification Standards of Category A and Category B and the Operating Standards of Performance Classes 1, 2 and 3.
The aircraft is Certificated in Category A or Category B (or both) which results in a helicopter with limitations and appropriate information contained in the relevant sections of the Flight Manual.
Operational regulations force compliance with (or in some cases provide alleviation from) the Limitations and, if they are present (as with EASA but not FAA), provide rules under which the performance information can be utilised in observing the operating rules.
Geoff, you need to rid yourself of the notion that operations can be conducted in Category A or Category B.
Operations can be conducted in Performance Class 1 utilising the procedures/profiles and limitation of Category A (as indicated in the ICAO/EASA definition of Category A).
Operations can be conducted in Performance Class 2 using the limiting Category A mass (which is, for larger helicopters, the same as the limiting Category B mass), and the Category A 'second segment' climb performance.
When operating in Performance Class 2 the HV Limitation can be observed by using the Category B take-off (or landing) profile/procedure (for which performance is assured by the Category B PAC). When operating in Performance Class 2 with exposure, the operator is alleviated from the HV Limitation in the basic regulation (see the HV thread to understand how that is done) but not the Category A mass or the 'second segment' climb performance. Additional requirements might also apply to these operations.
Operating in Aerial Work (utility) requires compliance with the Flight Manual Limitations but, unless otherwise specified, does not require compliance with Performance Criteria. An aircraft with more than nine passenger seats (usually interpreted to be more than nine passengers) cannot be utilised for Aerial Work (utility). Perhaps you are incorrectly understanding these type of operations as Category B; however, that is not correct because when applying the procedures/profiles of Category B the HV Limitation has to be observed (which you will agree is not what you are intending).
Jim