I find it very disappointing that so many of the comments about this accident blame the victim. Those who operate helicopters and support helicopter operations know how they work, understand that there are dangerous tail rotors which are invisible when turning and that the machine must only be approached in certain sectors. The helicopter landing pad is a dangerous and alien environment to most members of the public, and to occasional passengers, who may not even be aware that helicopters have tail rotors.
The operator has an absolute duty of care towards paying passengers and if there are insufficient trained staff on the ground to guide passengers (who could include children) then the helicopter should shut down and stop the rotors before disembarking passengers. Briefings are not enough – people only remember about 30% of a briefing the first time and may not understand the terminology used. Yes we may know what a tail rotor is and exactly where it is located but do all passengers. Do they even care? Should they care? They rely on the operator to keep them safe.
Don’t blame the victim – the operator has absolute responsibility for passenger safety.