.
When guano accumulations need to be removed, particularly on Normally Unattended Installations (NUIs).
An adequate supply of seawater should be provided at sufficient pressure to effectively clean the helideck surface and any surrounding equipment. In the case of removing guano accumulations this may require the addition of a high pressure pumping system in order to be totally effective.
11.10.10.1 Equipment Specification
Either a fixed mains water supply (manned installations and vessels) or a portable pump and transportable tanks (for NUIs) can be provided.
11.11 BIRD CONTROL DEVICES
11.11.1 Introduction
Bird / guano infestation problems are routinely encountered on installations in some areas on the UKCS, in particular when the installations are normally unattended. The effects of bird / guano infestation on the safety of offshore helicopter operations, personnel health and the additional maintenance costs incurred, cannot be ignored.
A measure of the importance attached by helicopter operators to properly managing the problems caused by bird / guano infestation (e.g. obscured helideck markings causing wrong deck landings, cancelled or aborted sorties, bird strikes or near misses, etc.) is the helideck monitoring and reporting co-ordinated by BHAB Helidecks. If a helideck fails to meet an acceptable level of cleanliness then landing restrictions will be applied by BHAB Helidecks, thus limiting helideck availability.
The levels of operational acceptance of helideck guano infestations by BHAB Helidecks are shown in Figure 11.33. Any reporting above level 7 will incur flight restrictions.
A significant part of the work to combat a bird / guano infestation problem will be handled during operations by employing a management system to monitor helideck condition and by building routine helideck cleaning into the maintenance programme.
During a helideck design project, it should be established whether the potential for bird / guano infestations exist. If there is likely to be a problem then provision should be made for the installation of bird exclusion devices along with efficient helideck cleaning / wash down systems.
1 Clean
2 Small isolated bird droppings
3 Noticeable, but not operationally significant bird droppings
4 Markings beginning to be degraded
5 Obvious bird usage
6 Noticeable degradation of markings
7 Bird usage causing operational problems
8 Substantial degradation of markings
9 No night operations
10 Totally obscured - Daylight cleaning operations ONLY
Figure 11.33 - Levels of operational acceptance of bird guano infestations by BHAB Helidecks
