Health and Safety

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Safety Policy

At Waipara Hills Helicopters safety is the core value within the organisation. Waipara Hills Helicopters aims to provide the highest standards and best practices towards the HSWA 2015. All staff are encouraged and expected to embrace safety first and continuous improvement values. It is important to remember Health and Safety is a shared responsibility, and everyone at Waipara Hills Helicopters is expected to share our company commitment to proactively avoid all accidents and incidents. Waipara Hills Helicopters embraces a Fair and Just Culture where employees are encouraged to report incidents and use them as learning opportunities.

Our company prides itself on the Safety and Risk Management culture. We always ensure all personnel are safe, and each job is completed in the safest possible way. Call us today to discuss your needs and how together, we can achieve a positive and safe result.

COVID-19

Waipara Hills Helicopters is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all staff, students, contractors and clients. We have updated our COVID-19 policy to align with the New Zealand Government’s COVID-19 protection framework.

For Waipara Hills Helicopters to be able to operate safely and protect our staff and clients as much as possible we ask that all visitors stay safe by following government regulations. These can be found at www.covid19.govt.nz.

All Waipara Hills Helicopters staff are fully vaccinated.

Risk Disclosure

Waipara Hills Helicopters requires every person who is being dropped off in a remote or mountainous area to acknowledge the inherent dangers and risks in the activity being undertaken. Because you may be entering a natural environment, where there are many natural hazards ranging from weather to avalanches, there is no guarantee that Waipara Hills Helicopters can entirely eliminate all risks, even though it will use a high degree of skill to minimise and avoid those risks, to ensure the safety and welfare of participants. Waipara Hills Helicopters will not accept liability for loss, death, injury or damage sustained by a participant or his/her dependents in circumstances where a natural hazard or other event is outside of our control, was difficult to predict, or avoid by the exercise of reasonable care. Waipara Hills Helicopters reserves the right to withdraw any person who in their opinion is likely to endanger themselves or others. This exclusion includes the overuse of alcohol and/or recreational drugs.

While the staff and management of Waipara Hills Helicopters will take all practicable steps to identify and minimize potential dangers, I acknowledge that I must follow the instructions of the Waipara Hills Helicopters (including any other relevant party) and use the safety equipment, when instructed at all times. If I am responsible for a person under the age of 18, I must ensure that the underage person follows the Waipara Hills Helicopters instructions at all times. I release and indemnify Waipara Hills Helicopters and staff against any liability they incur to anyone else, resulting from my failure to follow Waipara Hills Helicopter’s instructions or rules, or the failure of any underage person accompanying me to follow the Waipara Hills Helicopters’ instructions.

I also recognise that Waipara Hills Helicopters reserves the right to cancel, modify, or curtail any trip, if my safety or that of any other person becomes a concern.

I am aware that being dropped off in remote locations or mountainous areas by Waipara Hills Helicopters or on a Waipara Hills Helicopters hunting, fishing or mountaineering trip may have extreme dangers and risks, some of which include, but are not limited to:

Mountain Terrain – mountainous areas with steep slopes in their natural state have many obstacles and extreme hazards, may not have been climbed before, are not regularly patrolled or examined and where participants may become lost or separated from Guiding Staff and where communication may be difficult and rescue and medical treatment may not be available.
Avalanches – which may frequently occur in mountainous terrain and may be caused by natural forces including steepness of the slopes, snow depth, instability of the snow pack or glaciers, by changing weather conditions or by climbers or hunters, helicopter or failure for any reason of the Guiding Staff to predict when or where avalanches may occur.
Weather – weather conditions may be extreme and change rapidly without warning.
Vehicle or Helicopter Travel – additional risks are posed by road travel and by flying in remote and mountainous areas and in variable weather conditions.
Conduct of the Guide – the conduct of the Guide and/or the Guiding Staff and the conduct of other climbers, hunters or fisherman.
Using Firearms – risks posed by the use of firearms may result in serious injury or death.

I willingly accept all the risks of flying/mountaineering/hunting/fishing/trekking including without limitation the risks described above and the possibility of personal injury, death, property damage or loss resulting therefrom for any reason. I acknowledge that the enjoyment and excitement of being in the mountains is derived in part from climbing or trekking on steep terrain and that the inherent risks of adventuring in this environment contribute to such enjoyment and excitement.

I accept that all Waipara Hills Helicopter’s liability for loss of or damage to my property, disruption to travel plans, or mental injury is excluded. This exclusion is subject to any rights or remedies a customer has under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, or any other New Zealand law.

By accepting this Risk Disclosure, I confirm that I am of the Age of Majority and that I have read and understood this Agreement and agree that this Agreement will be binding upon my heirs, next of kin, executors, administrators and successors. If under 18 years, parent or legal guardian must accept this Agreement.

I certify that I have disclosed any Medical Condition/s or other information that could impact by ability to safely partake in the activity.

WARNING: Under New Zealand law it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to sue anyone if you are injured. New Zealand’s Accident Compensation scheme provides limited assistance for injury. Visitors to New Zealand are strongly recommended to have full insurance covering injury, illness and cancellation.