HeliExports International (HEI) has launched a heliport safety and certification program to support U.S. helicopter operators, insurance companies, and municipalities to ensure that heliports are run safely. Over the past 30 years, the Long Branch, New Jersey-based consultancy has been involved in planning and designing more than 850 heliports and has also evaluated more than 3,000 heliports.
The heliport safety and certification program involves an on-site audit of each facility, followed by recommendations for safety risk mitigation and certification for those that meet the agreed standards. HEI’s audits have been developed from the FAA’s heliport design Advisory Circular and the National Fire Protection Association fire safety guidelines for heliports.
“There are no federal regulations regarding heliport safety. State and local oversight is extremely varied and even non-existent in most locations,” explained HEI managing member Ray Syms. “With the vast majority of public and private heliports containing significant safety risks, including hospitals and corporate sites, there is huge potential for extremely costly and even fatal accidents, which are damaging to the heliport operator and the industry as a whole.”