Nine bases throughout the Americas reached the critical milestone of a 1,000 days without a recordable incident on June 18, 2020: making them 1,000 days Target Zero for helicopter giant Bristow.
The company said the milestone was achieved by the legacy Era AOC at their nine bases throughout Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and Suriname.
“It takes a lot of dedication, focus and an unwavering commitment to safety to achieve 1,000 days without a recordable incident,” said Vice President Health, Safety and Environment James Stottlemyer. “I commend all the employees of these nine locations for holding safety as their number one core value and ensuring each person is committed to the goal of zero accidents and zero harm to people.”
Every small act adds up to achieving Target Zero. Pilots, mechanics and other frontline staff must be comfortable approaching management for safety support when needed so the collective team takes the time to have the conversations when necessary. Employees should feel confident in the support and encouragement from management throughout the organization that employees are given the time and resources to work safely – whether it be the dynamic COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding protocols, refueling an aircraft or clarifying procedures before beginning a task.
When asked what contributed to this achievement, Safety and Quality Assurance Advisor Andy Rome said, “employees are aware of their surroundings and potential hazards and they consistently make good decisions – submitting reports, eliminating or minimizing risks and looking out for everyone on their team.”
It takes everyone working together every day to achieve Target Zero.
“One way the Maintenance team contributes to the efforts is by working from work stands instead of ladders at height, except in situations where it is not possible to use a work stand,” added Rome.
Employees also use stop work authority as needed. As an example, while Sikorsky S-92 Pilot David Whitehead performed his pre-flight inspection, he noticed frost on the aircraft that hindered his ability to complete the task. Whitehead used stop work authority and waited for the sun to rise and melt the frost, then resumed the procedure. He submitted a report documenting the stop work action and the reasoning behind it. Management not only supported Whitehead’s actions, they recognized him for his efforts.
“This achievement is a direct result of working with the four safety behaviors: pause and reflect, choose safe outcomes, report and share information and stop work,” added Stottlemyer. “The combination of these four behaviors and a supportive leadership team is a powerful combination – as demonstrated by this significant achievement.”
In 2018 Bristow secured a multi-year contract to provide helicopter offshore crew change and search and rescue (SAR) services to support ExxonMobil in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana. The five-year deal, which was a renewal of an existing contract, started on January 1, 2018.
