| For several years I worked around helicopters. | | | | see. This is vital to your safety. Think about the |
| Safety is never more important than when you are | | | | clothes you are wearing, particularly whether anything |
| either near or inside an operating helicopter. This is | | | | is loose, like a hat, that could fly off and up into the |
| because their is rarely a second chance when | | | | rotor blades. There is a lot of wind and sometimes |
| someone makes a thoughtless mistake near a running | | | | dust swirling around a running helicopter. Remove |
| helicopter. | | | | loose things and hold on to them. Rotor blades are |
| One of the first things said to me by a helicopter | | | | very light and move very fast. The moving blades |
| pilot, giving a safety talk about working around | | | | can easily be damaged by striking any object flying |
| helicopters was, slow down. Don't get excited. People | | | | into them. It is ok to shade your eyes from the dust |
| hear the noise, and sense the vibrations, of the | | | | with one hand, as long as you can keep an eye on |
| quickly moving rotor blades of a helicopter and | | | | where the helicopters rotors are located, in relation |
| become excited. They start rushing about, doing | | | | to your body. Be careful not to raise your hands |
| things in a hurry. That is their first mistake. A big part | | | | above your head, while under the rotor of a |
| of safety is thinking before you act. | | | | helicopter. Safely carry tools if possible at waste level. |
| The biggest killer, in accidents that occur around | | | | Never carry tools near a helicopter over your |
| helicopters, is being absent minded and not realizing | | | | shoulder. |
| where you are in relation to the running helicopter. It | | | | That is safety outside a helicopter. |
| is a good idea to always look around and be sure of | | | | Safety inside a helicopter starts with opening and |
| your position. One must also look down at the | | | | closing the doors. Be gentle, especially closing the |
| ground, to check if it is uneven. Some spots in you | | | | doors. The doors are very lightly built. If you want to |
| path toward the helicopter, may be higher than | | | | stay on the pilot's good side, don't slam the door |
| others, reducing the distance between your head, | | | | shut. Gently pull the door tightly closed and twist the |
| and the turning rotor blades. Be very cautious if you | | | | latch handle closed. Always do up your seat belt. |
| have to walk up hill toward a helicopter. It is a good | | | | When exiting the helicopter, wait for the pilot to tell, |
| idea to bend your head slightly and watch how high | | | | or indicate to you that it is safe to exit the machine. |
| the turning blades are above you. | | | | Landing is a critical time, for a helicopter. If the pilot is |
| Some of the most important safety tips are the | | | | landing on snow or an uneven slope where he has to |
| following: | | | | keep the rotor lift power on, to hover land, while you |
| Always approach a running helicopter from the front, | | | | exit, wait for the pilot to tell you it is ok to open the |
| where the pilot can see you. As much as possible | | | | door and step out. If you were to shift your weight |
| stay in the pilot's viewing area and watch for him to | | | | out of the door when the pilot was not ready for |
| give you the ok to approach when he is landing, don't | | | | you, it could flip the helicopter on its side. That would |
| just head up to the machine. When the machine is | | | | be a big mess. It would very likely be your last mess. |
| safely down, he will gesture to you, to come | | | | Using these safety tips can make your work around |
| forward. Never approach a helicopter from the tail, | | | | helicopters fun and easy on the pilot. |
| where the quickly moving tail rotor can be hard to | | | | |