Helicopter EMS provider Air Evac Lifeteam has entered the third level of the FAA’s safety management system (SMS) voluntary pilot project. Air Evac has 110 bases in 15 states and has been enrolled in the pilot project since February 2010. Dave Hardin, Air Evac’s director of safety, characterizes the company’s participation in the pilot project as a “challenging, but beneficial, process in the interest of safety.” Air Evac is only the third Part 135 operator to progress beyond Level 2, according to the FAA.
Level 2, also known as the “reactive” phase of the project, pertains to the development and implementation of robust safety assurance and safety risk management processes. This level effectively prepares the company for further safety and quality systems, corrects potential deficiencies in safety management practices and develops a proactive process to identify and mitigate hazards before they result in an unwanted occurrence.
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