SA F E T Y Culture first Creating a positive culture in aviation could help safety reporting concerns By Joji Waites, BALPA Head of Flight Safety A s headlines of the latest event befalling a Boeing aircraft appear in the inbox, one could be forgiven for thinking that aviation safety is in a terminal spin. The reality is, however, that aviation is statistically an incredibly safe industry. While Boeing clearly still has significant issues to address in terms of safety culture and quality control, some of the recent media reports seem to be disproportionately fixated on the manufacturer to fuel the narrative of a beleaguered company rather than considering whether an event is significant, or indeed has anything to do with the aircraft from a causal point of view. Perhaps it would be more helpful and educational to focus on some of the generic, systemic issues affecting the industry. The reporting vicious circle It seems reasonable to observe that, while safety remains high, the industrys fabled resilience has taken a knock as resources are stretched in the continued pursuit of maximising commercial opportunities. This is arguably driving behaviours that could lead to unintended consequences for flight safety. For example, the reporting vicious circle. Some BALPA members have described a feeling of increased commercial pressure within their companies, which is affecting their attitude towards reporting safety concerns. There is either a fear of reprisal, contrary to just culture principles, or a feeling that nothing will change, resulting in reporting apathy. A lack of reports, which are a key ingredient of an effective safety management system, can give the impression that certain safety issues do not exist or are not a significant risk. The operator then convinces itself that it does not need to take action, as the risks are being managed, and the regulator has no evidence to the contrary, so does not feel the need to intervene. Reporting apathy is further exacerbated, and the vicious circle is reinforced. The reporting virtuous circle It does not need to be this way. What if the reporting of safety events was treated as a genuine opportunity to learn across the organisation, with investigations focusing on understanding the human elements involved, rather than fixating on the mythical root 18 THE LOG Sum 24 pp18-19 Vicious or virtuous reporting circle.indd 18 13/06/2024 13:00