It is the way it's done and has been done for ever .... And very safely !!!!
Just like heli skiing these guys have a lot of kit that can blow up into the blades or , like fishing rods , be inadvertently lifted . ( the first time I got out of a Mi4 onto a rock in the river , the tip of the rod was cut off by the blade and we had to splice a new ring onto the end ... Luckily it was a cane rod so not too difficult ). A number of the sites also have big rocks that people may try to climb over ... Trust me , crouching next to the skids is the safest way . Sadly just not this time .