Safety
Valhalla Helicopters Inc. is committed to the promotion of the well-being and health and safety of all those who are present at any of its offices, worksites or aircraft. As such, Valhalla Helicopters will endeavour to provide a safe and healthy work environment wherein the prevention of workplace injuries and accidents is a priority. Valhalla Helicopters is committed to the protection from accidental loss of all its resources, including employees and physical assets.
In fulfilling this commitment to protect both people and property, management will provide and maintain a healthy and safe work environment in accordance with industry standards and in compliance with legislative requirements. Management will strive to eliminate any foreseeable hazards which may result in property damage, accidents/incidents, personal injury/illness, or negative environmental impact. All management functions will comply with company health and safety requirements as they relate to planning, operation and maintenance of facilities and equipment.
All employees and contractors will be equally responsible for minimizing accidents at the work site and office. Safe work practices and procedures will be clearly defined in the Health and Safety Manual for all employees and contractors to follow. All employees and contractors are responsible for understanding and complying with all policies, procedures, rules and applicable legislation. Accidental loss can be controlled through good management in combination with active employee and contractor involvement. Health and safety is the direct responsibility of all management, employees and contractors.
Valhalla Helicopters prioritizes safety above all else, typically choosing to go well beyond Transport Canada minimum requirements in spite of the additional costs involved. For example, two pilot crews are employed for all logging operations, even though Bell mediums are approved single pilot aircraft. Skytrac satellite tracking systems are installed on the Bell medium helicopters and Bluesky tracking on the Bell 206 helicopters. Satellite phones are installed in all aircraft. For improved visibility in fire fighting operations, our medium helicopters have been equipped with belly mounted LED anti collision light, high visibility forward facing LED pulse lights, upper and lower side LED position lights, side mounted strobe lights, LED tail lights and high visibility blades. When it comes to long-lining, we have implemented use of a “spectra” line which is stronger than steel cable and much easier on the aircraft due to its shock absorption qualities. In seismic operations, the “nubbin” hook introduced by Blair Savege has now become mandatory since its design leaves far less opportunity for error in attaching the load as compared to the standard “load beam” hook that was used for years. Our medium aircraft are also equipped with on board electronic load scales, providing an accurate weight of the load before departure. In 2006, Valhalla Helicopters implemented a formalized annual inspection schedule for all operations gear.
In 2006, Valhalla Helicopters developed a comprehensive and customized Safety Management System, encompassing all aspects of health, safety and environment exceeding the requirements of Transport Canada and meeting or exceeding the requirements of the oil & gas industry. Valhalla helicopters has been COR certified with both Energy Safety Canada and the BC forest safety council since 2009. We also undergo regular internal audits and external audits from our customer base.
Valhalla Helicopters continues to be proactive in promoting safety and improving on best practices; establishing and training to standards in keeping with the Safe Work Practices & Procedures, Codes of Practice and Best Practices & Procedures for all of our primary operational activities. With a mature and effective SMS program in place, the safety culture is evident at every level in the organization.