Wear and tear is inevitable during the lifespan of the helideck netting hence periodic checks should be conducted to ensure serviceability.

The design of helideck perimeter safety nets on offshore installations covers a wide range of different supporting structures, net support frame arrangements, netting materials and fixing methods.

To achieve best industry practice this guidance should be applied during the repair and/or modification of existing helideck perimeter safety net arrangements and to all new offshore helideck designs.
Safety nets for personnel protection should be installed around the landing area except where adequate structural protection against falls exists. The netting used should be of a flexible nature, with the inboard edge fastened level with, or just below, the edge of the helicopter landing deck (CAP 437 Paragraph 3.50 8th Edition).

SUPPORT STRUCTURES
A safety net support assembly and its fixings to the helideck primary structure should be designed to withstand the static load of the whole support structure, the netting system and any attached appendages (e.g. NDB antenna) plus specific imposed load on any section of the netting system (equivalent to a body falling onto the net from helideck level).

NETTING SYSTEM
Once installed, current perimeter safety net designs are often difficult to maintain and may be inaccessible for testing. Ideally, a perimeter safety net system should be designed so that it is divided into manageable sections that can be easily retracted or lifted inboard (hinged or removable) to permit maintenance and panel replacement from the helideck surface, without requiring external access (e.g. scaffolding or abseils).

Experience has clearly shown that any netting system employed in the offshore marine environment should have a finite life applied to ensure that ¡t retains its capability to arrest and restrain a falling person without breaking and without causing Injury.