risk managment in aviation environment

Cristiane R. de Freitas, of 14


Risk Management in Aviation Environment


Introduction

The complete elimination of risk in aviation operations obviously is an unachievable

and impractical goal (being perfectly safe means to stop all aviation activities and to

ground all aircraft). As not all risks can be removed, nor are all possible risk mitigation

measures economically practical. In other words, it is accepted that there will be some

residual risk of harm to people, property or environment, but this is considered to be

acceptable or tolerable by the responsible authority and the society.

Risk management, being a central component of the SMS, plays vital role in addressing

the risk in practical terms. It requires a coherent and consistent process of objective

analysis, in particular for evaluating the operational risks. In general, Risk Management

is a structured approach and systematic actions aimed to achieve the balance between

the identified and assessed risk and practicable risk mitigation.

In the aviation environment, Safety Management System or SMS is a proven practice

being utilized to bring formal structure to managing the risks associated with multiple

aspects of fire aviation. The goal of SMS is to create a positive safety culture where

practitioners continually challenge existing aviation practices, culture and systems in

order to identify weaknesses and to identify where improvements can be made. The

SMS program is based on the pillars of Policy, Risk Management, Quality Assurance,

and Safety Promotion. A vital part of SMS is the ability to accomplish key risk

assessments.


Definition

“Risk management. The identification, analysis and elimination (and/or mitigation to an

acceptable or tolerable level) of those hazards, as well as the subsequent risks, that

threaten the viability of an organization.” (ICAO Doc 9859).

“Safety risk management (SRM) - a formal process within the SMS composed of

describing the system, identifying the hazards, assessing the risk, analyzing the risk, and

controlling the risk. The SRM process is embedded in the processes used to provide the

product/service; it is not a separated distinct process.” (FAA AC120-92, Introduction to

SMS for Air Operators).

The objective of Risk Management is to ensure that the risks associated with hazards to

flight operations are systematically and formally identified, assessed, and managed

within acceptable safety levels.

Risk Management Elements

Risk management consists of three essential elements:

Hazard identification - Identification of undesired or adverse events that can lead to

the occurrence of a hazard and the analysis of mechanisms by which these events may

occur and cause harm. Both reactive and proactive methods and techniques should be

used for hazard identification.

Risk assessment - Identified hazards are assessed in terms of criticality of their harmful

effect and ranked in order of their risk-bearing potential. They are assessed often by

experienced personnel, or by utilizing more formal techniques and through analytical

expertise. The severity of consequences and the likelihood (frequency) of occurrence of

hazards are determined. If the risk is considered acceptable, operation continues without

any intervention, if it is not acceptable, risk mitigation process is engaged.


Risk mitigation - If the risk is considered to be unacceptable, then control measures are

taken to fortify and increase the level of defenses against that risk or to avoid or remove

the risk, if this is economically feasible.

The flow chart above depicting the Risk Management process:

Furthermore, effective Risk Management requires that the safety “cost-benefit” of the

planned and implemented course of actions is analyzed, including the case of choosing

a “do nothing” strategy. If it is decided to act for limiting the exposure to the identified

risks, each risk control measure needs to be evaluated, to reveal possible latent hazards


and dormant risks that may arise from activating that measure. Once these control

measures are implemented, the organization needs to ensure they are engaged in a

correct way, and this is achieved through a set of arrangements, processes and

systematic actions, which build the Safety Assurance domain of the SMS.

Risk Management is based on a variety of hazard identification means. According to

ICAO Doc 9859 this SMS component may include both proactive and reactive methods

and techniques. Safety occurrence reporting and investigation, being assigned to the

reactive category, are well known essential means for identifying key risk areas and

corrective risk mitigation measures. In addition, the increasing integration, automation

and complexity of flight operations requires a proactive, systematic and structured

approach to risk assessment and mitigation using predictive and monitoring techniques.

Risk assessment need to be conducted for any changes that may impact the safety of

services provided by the operator/service provider.

Types of Risk


The risk management concept is equally important in all aviation sectors and should be

implemented in a consistent manner by airline operators, air navigation service

providers, certified aerodrome operators, maintenance organizations and training

organization. Its strategies include identifying the risk, assessing the risk, avoiding or

reducing the risk and accepting certain risks.


Hazard

Defining Hazard

By definition, a hazard is a present condition, event, object, or circumstance that could

lead to or contribute to an unplanned or undesired event such as an accident. It is a

source of danger. Four common aviation hazards are:

1. A nick in the propeller blade

2. Improper refueling of an aircraft

3. Pilot fatigue

4. Use of unapproved hardware on aircraft

Recognizing the Hazard

Recognizing hazards is critical to beginning the risk management process. Sometimes,

one should look past the immediate condition and project the progression of the


condition. This ability to project the condition into the future comes from experience,

training, and observation.

1. A nick in the propeller blade is a hazard because it can lead to a fatigue crack,

resulting in the loss of the propeller outboard of that point. With enough loss, the

vibration could be great enough to break the engine mounts and allow the engine to

separate from the aircraft.

2. Improper refueling of an aircraft is a hazard because improperly bonding and/or

grounding the aircraft creates static electricity that can spark a fire in the refueling

vapors. Improper refueling could also mean fueling a gasoline fuel system with turbine

fuel. Both of these examples show how a simple process can become expensive at best

and deadly at worst.

3. Pilot fatigue is a hazard because the pilot may not realize he or she is too tired to fly

until serious errors are made. Humans are very poor monitors of their own mental

condition and level of fatigue. Fatigue can be as debilitating as drug usage, according to

some studies.

4. Use of unapproved hardware on aircraft poses problems because aviation hardware is

tested prior to its use on an aircraft for such general properties as hardness, brittleness,

malleability, ductility, elasticity, toughness, density, fusibility, conductivity, and

contraction and expansion.

The concepts of hazard and risk are the core elements of risk management. Types of risk

and the experience of the pilot determine that individual‟s acceptable level of risk.

Three out of four accidents result from improper human performance.


The human element is the most flexible, adaptable, and valuable part of the aviation

system, but it is also the most vulnerable to influences that can adversely affect its

performance

The study of human behavior is an attempt to explain how and why humans function the

way they do. A complex topic, human behavior is a product both of innate human

nature and of individual experience and environment. Definitions of human behavior

abound, depending on the field of study. In the scientific world, human behavior is seen

as the product of factors that cause people to act in predictable ways

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) utilizes studies of human behavior in an

attempt to reduce human error in aviation. Historically, the term “pilot error” has been

used to describe an accident in which an action or decision made by the pilot was the

cause or a contributing factor that led to the accident. This definition also includes the

pilot‟s failure to make a correct decision or take proper action. From a broader

perspective, the phrase “human factors related” more aptly describes these accidents. A

single decision or event does not lead to an accident, but a series of events; the resultant

decisions together form a chain of events leading to an outcome. Many of these events

involve the interaction of flight crews. In fact, airlines have long adopted programs for

crew resource management (CRM) and line oriented flight training (LOFT) which has

had a positive impact upon both safety and profit. These same processes can be applied

(to an extent) to general aviation.

Since poor decision-making by pilots (human error) has been identified as a major

factor in many aviation accidents, human behavior research tries to determine an


individual‟s predisposition to taking risks and the level of an individual‟s involvement

in accidents. Drawing upon decades of research, countless scientists have tried to figure

out how to improve pilot performance. Is there an accident-prone pilot? A study in 1951

published by Elizabeth Mechem Fuller and Helen B. Baune of the University of

Minnesota determined there were injury-prone children. The study was comprised of

two separate groups of second grade students. Fifty-five students were considered

accident repeaters and 48 students had no accidents. Both groups were from the same

school of 600 and their family.

Be an example

Whether you know it or not, whether you intend it or not, you are a leader. You are a

role model for all the people in your organization. They watch what you do and imitate

your words and your actions. From the top to the bottom, from the center to the outposts

of the organization, your traits, your attitudes and your actions, will be copied. If you

believe safety is important to the security and prosperity of your organization, and your

actions reflect your beliefs, your staff will invest their own time and efforts; and given

time, will make your beliefs and actions their own. You can leverage and broadcast your

beliefs by publicly announcing your views through staff newsletters, safety articles and

safety bulletins. You can also declare your commitment to your SMS by publicly

rewarding those managers and staff who demonstrate exemplary safety behavior and/or

proactively identify hazards or suggest workable safety solution

.

Create a positive safety culture

Ultimately, the success of an SMS hinges on the development of a positive safety

culture which promotes open reporting through non punitive disciplinary policies and


continual improvement through proactive safety assessments and quality assurance.

This will be achieved by the implementation and continuing support of an SMS based

on cohesive policies and procedures. Creating a positive safety culture will also help

identify what is really going on in your organization and help you understand your risks.

A positive safety culture is the embodiment of effective programs, decision making and

accountability at all levels. Safety culture, first and foremost is about how managerial

decisions are made, about the incentives and disincentives within an organization for

promoting safety.

There is often a great gap between what senior management believe to be the safety

culture of an organization and what is actually going on.

Inspiring staff

This is key to creating a positive safety culture. Establishing and promoting a safety

vision which staff can aspire to is one of the most powerful actions senior manager can

take. Seeking input from staff adds even more weight. A message from the top team that

“safety matters” affects decisions and morale of staff.

Safety objectives and safety targets support the safety vision. Each of these endeavours

sends a clear message to staff that we‟re on board with SMS and on the road to

achieving our safety vision.

Talk about it

One of the best ways to be involved is by leading the highest level safety meetings. As

an Accountable Manager you are responsible for the safety of your organization, so it

makes sense that you are front and center during regular executive safety meetings. By

making yourself available for these meetings you can:


review your organization‟s safety objectives and monitor achievement of our

safety targets

stay up to date on the safety health of your business

make timely safety decisions

allocate the appropriate resources

hold managers accountable for safety responsibilities, performance and

implementation timelines

be seen by managers and staff as a person who is interested in, and in charge of,

safety.

Delegating

Although named as the Accountable Manager(s), senior managers often are not

involved in, or have little knowledge of, the systems or the problems faced in the

workplace Senior managers often delegate the duties and responsibilities so as to

maintain control of the competing „top priorities‟. Senior managers can delegate

responsibility for day-to-day operation of the SMS–BUT –senior managers cannot

delegate accountability for the system and important risk decisions.

Conclusion

The Aviation Industries and other originations are working to find possible methods to

avoid hazard to the worker, equipment‟s and the customers. As we can see the possible

methods to prevent and avoid the hazard is effective yet one need to maintain his or her

role to prevent the hazard. In future Aviation hazard can possible avoid by using

combined methods. Use a single method is not an effective way.


References

Federal Aviation Administration, Risk Management Handbook, 2014, from

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/risk_management

_handbook/

The Senior Manager‟s Role in SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, 2011, from

https://www.caa.co.uk/docs/872/20110913SMSAPracticalGuideForSenior%20Manager

sV4UKVersion.pdf

risk managment in aviation environment

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