Organizations build a safety culture over time in large ways and small. In the hundreds of commercial hangars I've been in over the years, it doesn't take long to spot the safe pilot or safe mechanic.

They're neat, organized and methodical; they take their time; they refer to checklists frequently; they check, double-check and triple-check; and their paperwork is methodical. They also have one more quality: Not content with the status quo, they are always looking at safer ways of doing things, and they are passionate about it. For them, safety isn't a bother to be tolerated, it's a way of life.

Building a safety culture starts with selecting safe people and then keeping them engaged. How that is done varies: Hangar flying, safety meetings, mission debriefs, seminars and courses among them. Add to that the I Fly Safe app for smartphones from the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST).

You can download it from Apple's App Store. The app contains safety bulletins, fact sheets, essays, videos and links to the USHST website. The USHST plans to add an interactive component to the app later this year that will add quizzes and games aimed at enhancing safety skills and awareness. The app eventually will be able to be used to earn credits toward the FAA Wings pilot proficiency program.

"With this initiative, we are able to place safety information inside the cockpit and directly in the hands of pilots," said William Chiles, the outgoing president and CEO of Bristow Group and USHST co-chair. "This can offer helicopter operators useful knowledge whenever they need it."

Chiles knows a bit about safety. Launched on his watch in 2007, Bristow's Target Zero (accident rate) safety program is one of the most comprehensive and innovative in the helicopter industry. Target Zero seeks to create and perpetuate a safety culture across all levels of the organization by forming a sense of group-safety responsibility and teamwork coupled to the use of late-model helicopters equipped with the latest safety-enhancing equipment.

Under Target Zero, all employees are encouraged to "look for unsafe behavior or conditions in their workplace and speak up when they see any nonconformance, listen to employee safety concerns, and take action to eliminate hazards and minimize risks."

The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) awarded Bristow its 2012 Presidential Citation for Target Zero. The award recognizes organizations that have exhibited "outstanding service on behalf of safety, whether it be valor, professionalism or service above and beyond normal expectations."

While Bristow primarily services the energy industry, the principles of Target Zero can easily be applied to any aviation organization including medevac. And it starts with changing the culture.