WBMA Aviation Safety Management

Safety – Getting It Right

It is generally believed that aviation has an enviable safety record. This is correct when considering larger, regular public transport aircraft. However, when comparing the aviation accident statistics for corporate and general aviation aircraft, standards can vary enormously making it difficult to identify the standards being applied by an organisation.

There is a time-honoured flight safety truism which acknowledges that ‘the prevention of an aircraft accident is far more cost-effective for those involved and the aviation industry.

When considering the cost of safety, few managers correctly assess the indirect costs of an aircraft accident. There are many well-known aircraft accidents which have caused the demise of otherwise reputable organisations.

Some of these indirect costs include:

• Recovery of the wreckage and the restoration of the accident site
• Loss of revenue
• Insurance premium adjustments
• Loss of productivity due to a redirection of resources to business recovery
• Loss of passenger confidence in both the company and the industry
• Litigation and/or prosecution, and most importantly
• The moral cost to a community where life has been lost.

Whilst Government Aviation Authorities are tasked with promoting aviation safety and conducting accident and incident investigations, it behoves each of us to intervene and minimise the chance of a chain of events which might lead to an Incident or Accident.

One event rarely causes an accident. Accidents usually result from the interlinking of a number of factors which breach safeguards and barriers built to protect against safety hazards. These hazards can vary in severity and range across the spectrum of aviation operations. When viewed in isolation, some may appear minor or even insignificant in nature, but if placed into a sequence with other hazards, they continue the momentum towards an accident.

Watts Bridge safety initiatives emphasize a pro-active rather than reactive approach to flight and ground safety. The safety goal for fatal or hull loss accidents must be zero and the goal for other less significant incidents being calculated as a reducing percentage of the previous 2-3 years’ experience. The aim is to set the standard for the coming years by achieving as low an incident rate as possible.

WBMA Safety Reporting System

Watts Bridge safety management seeks to address safety issues through a robust hazard identification and occurrence reporting system. Our Hazard Identification and Occurrence Reporting System addresses both ground and air occurrences and aims to reduce the population of hazards within our operation, thereby reducing the probability of a ‘Chain of Events’ to an Incident or Accident.

Pilots are encouraged to formally report hazards and or occurrences through our internal electronic reporting systems including the;

• WBMA Safety Hazard Report Form, and
• WBMA Incident/ Occurrence Report Form

WBMA  Pilots are encouraged to provide Mandatory Aviation Accident and Incident Notifications and should be aware of the REPCON and the ASRS reporting systems. Access to these systems are available here.

Safety Management at WBMA is proudly sponsored by AeroSmart Pty Ltd, Aviation Safety and Accident Consultants.

www.aerosmart.com.au.