Recognized For Development Of Innovative Safety Initiative

PHI Air Medical has been awarded the 2016 Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award for its development of a unique and innovative safety initiative designed to address the workings of the human brain and improve mindfulness among employees.

Jennifer Hardcastle, Air Medical Sales Manager for Airbus Helicopters Inc., presented the award and a $10,000 check to PHI Air Medical President David Motzkin at the Air Medical Transport Conference Annual Community Awards Banquet held Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C.

Created by Airbus Helicopters Inc. in 2007 and presented annually, the Vision Zero Award promotes safety in the air medical industry. The award recognizes a program or company that has demonstrated a commitment to aviation safety, spotlights specific safety initiatives and encourages the sharing of ideas so others in the industry may learn from them. An industry committee judges the competition.

“Airbus Helicopters Inc. is proud to present the Vision Zero Award to PHI Air Medical for its leadership in improving the safety of air medical transport operations,” Hardcastle said. “PHI is improving safety not only within the company, but its work could help strengthen safety efforts across our industry.”

Working with a team of psychologists, neuroscientists, anthropologists and human brain experts, PHI developed and launched the Life-Saving Thinking initiative across the company. The new program is a compliment to Life-Saving Behaviors, a program PHI initiated in 2015.

Life-Saving Behaviors aims to improve human performance by addressing behavioral actions employees should take to ensure their safety. Life-Saving Thinking pushes the initiative one step further and challenges employees to understand how their brains work so they can adapt a conscious, hyper-vigilant mindset when performing critical tasks.

PHI launched Life-Saving Thinking in 2016, beginning with a train-the-trainer event for leaders and later through a series of monthly engagement meetings at bases around the country. The program includes multiple video elements, messages from a renowned Stanford University neuroscientist, training manuals, learning tools and innovative brain games. With its $10,000 award, PHI will help replicate this program across the industry.

“We believe that Life-Saving Thinking is a game changer in the air medical industry, as the outcomes will improve human performance and safety across the entire industry,” Motzkin said. “Through Life-Saving Thinking, PHI has stepped outside the bounds of traditional safety practices to really understand and address the challenges and barriers that exist within the human brain. By delving into this subject, we are challenging our employees to work through each and every task with real mindfulness and attention.”

(Image provided with Airbus Helicopters news release)

FMI: www.aams.org, www.airbushelicoptersinc.com