nkt2000
The value of your research will be to ascertain the credibility of what the Captain says and what they actually 'do' when they feel the hot breath of the client demanding a service, with the shadow of the 3-month notice looming....
You might find that with the gradual reduction of in-depth experience and deep understanding of why the rules and regs are there in the first place; coupled with the knowledge of how Met and Sea State reporting has evolved; along with the evidence that 'blind eyes' are a plenty when it's 'coming home time', flights continue to be flown regardless of common sense or logic.
I have witnessed an experienced and 'current' ERRV crew run over a rescue dummy in calm seas.
The DACON scoop was designed to repatriate victims not to rescue survivors - and yes, the manufacturer has changed the website because they can. The 'mission creep' of such an atrocious piece of equipment is disingenuous but if no one has to use it.....
North sea rigs still using un-calibrated weather reporting equipment as they fail to re-calibrate iaw regs or after another piece of hardware has been erected in its vicinity.
SS6, don't make me laugh. Little point in being able to ditch if you cant be rescued before the bags give up - and please, no one thinks they can transfer into a life raft in those conditions, do they??
A captain's estate will be sued by their employer and victims families with a blink of an eye if any casualties occur below SS6 because it can be argued that SS is not the only consideration.
The trouble is, with the general 'dumbing-down' of the role, and the eagerness for operators and clients to try and reduce everything to a flowchart, there is a danger that the big picture will be lost and lives with it.
Whilst insurers insist on min hours, they don't also insist on the big bollock5 required to say 'no'.
It sickens me when I hear a pathetic excuse for Ops Manager saying 'Final responsibility lies with the Captain' when it suits them but the company does it's level-best to undermine the skipper or the process at every turn - knowing full well that the regs have the Skipper as the accountable one.
There are captains who don't like flying but like the money and will seek ways to put flight on hold til next crew signs on.
There are Captains that think job-security relies on never saying 'no'.
STATOIL's report goes someway in acknowledging the 'mission creep' and lack of accountability or understanding when it comes to the holistic affect of individual departments having their 'say' and 'tail wagging dog' etc.
However, the cynic in many of us know the report was a reaction instigated by the legal team and not the safety team.