tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80915067686738455832024-03-12T04:51:04.600+00:00Gates AviationGates Aviation specialises in air, ground and personal safety, operational and asset security, emergency response, risk and change management, major asset acquisition, loss recovery and legal services but with a network of associates and partnerships around the world we can source solutions to most business demands including recruitment, training, finance, materials and equipment.Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-41381590139327492612020-05-14T15:46:00.001+01:002020-05-14T15:46:11.626+01:00Safety of Commercial Air Travel During the COVID-19 Outbreak<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">A guest post from Gates Aviation Associate John Edwards:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">All
international travel involves the risk of exposure to coronavirus at present. This
risk can be managed in several meaningful ways but absent a vaccine, the final
outcome of infection cannot. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The manner in which
COVID-19 spreads and infects people is an emerging issue. It is generally agreed that the
disease can spread person-to-person through small droplets from the nose or
mouth of an individual infected with COVID-19 and that coronavirus can remain
intact and viable for up to 72 hours on some surfaces e.g. steel. It is
unlikely to be spread through aircraft air circulation systems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Operational
recommendations for the aviation sector for implementation until the disease outbreak
has been “closed”, have been provided
by multiple international agencies. Sovereign States and their airports are
categorised into risk levels although there are differences of opinion as to
which level some States should be in. Risk level definitions vary but generally
range from 1 to 3 where three recommends against all non-essential travel. A
separate categorisation process is in place for State preparedness to manage
the disease. These levels range from 1 (not prepared) to 5 for countries that have
“more than 80% (medical response) capacity”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Many
airports are closed or have severe restrictions in place. The nature of airport
design means that maintaining social distancing for staff and passengers can be
problematic at best. The number of unavoidable physical ‘touch-points’ is vast
and these are touched multiple times by a very wide range of passengers, airport
employees and contractors. Previously acceptable airport cleaning regimes are
no longer adequate. Specific types of waste must be categorised and disposed of
a ‘biohazardous’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Airlines are similarly recommended to
put special measures in place to minimise risk and protect passengers and crew
to the greatest extent reasonable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">In
the same way that some aircraft operators and airports expect and implement higher
standards of safety and security than others, performance differences can be anticipated
in this regard too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">If
a traveller develops COVID-19 symptoms whilst overseas he/she may need to be
repatriated by specialist jet air ambulance. Travel on a commercial aircraft
will not be an option.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">All
of this means that deciding whether to travel of air, where you can travel and
whether it is relatively safe to do so is a complex task. Discharging corporate
due diligence under these circumstances is markedly more difficult than usual. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 11pt;">Gates Aviation has current
experience of doing exactly this and stands ready to help! </span></div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-64582700833619738482020-04-29T12:06:00.000+01:002020-06-24T10:38:55.294+01:00BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING – WHAT IS IT?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Rule 1:</b> It is NOT preparing for ‘business as usual’
in a crisis – if it were, there would be no need for a plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Rule 2</b>: It’s all about the objectives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Crisis or no crisis, all businesses should live
and die by their objectives; what are we trying to achieve and why? If we can’t
answer that then we can’t know if we are succeeding or failing. So, from the
outset there must be clear objectives and, yes I know it is old, but the SMART
concept is still valid. What is wrong with having business objectives that are ‘specific,
measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound’? Or some similar version
thereof. Personally, I think we should add an E in there somewhere, for ethical.
And you might not be able to satisfy every single one in every objective but it
is a good starting point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once our goals are clear we can identify that
anything which could adversely affect the ability to achieve them is a threat which we must have a plan to counter. Anything that does not is of no interest
whatsoever, however bad it might otherwise be, and should be ignored. Straightaway
we have focused our attention and our resources onto the things that matter and not
wasted them on things that do not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Rule 3</b>: Have a plan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is when you need some first rate pessimists. The
business continuity plan consists of protecting as much of the suite of objectives
as possible against the increased threat level presented by any conceivable
crisis. Which objectives can be postponed? The T element extended? Can others
be scaled back but still maintained in essence? Is there a plan to review the
objectives in light of the new threat level? Must some objectives be abandoned
because the achievable A element or the relevant R no longer exist? And this
may be where the ethical E becomes important – how do we manage our social
responsibility values in a crisis? If they can be ignored when times are tough
they are not really values at all…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>A footnote on objectives:<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>A popular corporate objective these days is ‘Zero
harm’. The best definition of harm I have seen comes I think from the old Warsaw
Convention and states: ‘Loss or damage to property, injury or death to persons’
or something like that. Nowadays I would add the environment in there too. Is
this ‘achievable’ in many of today’s industries? Probably not but especially
when it comes to lives and health, zero is the only goal we can have. No
company is going to have an objective of just maiming two people this year,
although that may be what they mean!<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br /></div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-14229409385639663622019-11-26T10:54:00.000+00:002019-11-26T10:56:33.379+00:00MOTION SICKNESS CAN KILL…<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
Most readers will probably be thinking “No it
can’t. Don’t be absurd!” I hope so because if not there might not be enough
curiosity to encourage you to read on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Good. You at least have persevered. Absurd it may
be but nevertheless, I stand by my statement. Clearly, I haven’t died from
motion sickness, or anything else just yet, so I need to tell my story of how
motion sickness could have taken, and in fact very nearly took, my life and the
life of at least one other. Dramatic enough? A bit too much? Stay with me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I have had a sulky and slightly green-tinged
relationship with motion sickness for as long as I can remember. Ignoring those
early queasy rides in the claustrophobic rear seat of my step-father’s Ford
Zodiac in the 1960s, weaving and rolling along the windy lanes of the Isle of
Wight’s chalk Downs, my first full-on encounter was with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mal de mere</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">zeeziekte</i> or
seasickness as the sick-bag provided helpfully explained in 3 languages.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Actually, before we cast into historic oblivion those
memories of mildly nauseous, pre-seatbelt era jaunts across the Island, I
should perhaps explain the purpose of our journeys. If indeed it really
qualifies as a ‘purpose’. My step-father was a curious man, in every aspect of
that adjective. Confining our attention to the sort of curiosity that is said
to kill cats or to elongate the nose of the elephant’s child (check out Kipling
if you are scratching your head), he wanted to know how other people lived.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Obviously, he could visit friends and relations,
and note their choice of house, furnishings, garden landscaping, clothes, even
partners. But that limited his insatiable curiosity to people he knew and that
was far from enough for ‘Jack’. He wanted a much larger sample of the
population from which to illustrate his dinner time anecdotes on the habitual
idiosyncrasies of our fellow Isle of Wight residents.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Hence, after weekend lunches at our home near the
centre of the Island we would head out on a random spoke towards the coastal
periphery, in search of new domestic pastures to explore. Mother and step-father
in front, brother and occasionally step-sister in the back we would emerge from
the driveway on another bizarre quest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The way it worked was Jack would look for a grand
gateway or house sign out in the countryside. I should explain that his curiosity
did not extend to how suburban people lived. Once the target was identified he
would simply sweep up the drive until we reached the front of whatever house
appeared at the end. Handbrake on, engine off he would clamber out (he was a
very large curious man) and look about as if a little perplexed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Eventually an owner or two would appear and ask,
“Can I help you?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Oh” Jack would reply, “I’m so sorry, we were
heading for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">[insert fictitious location]</i>
but must have taken a wrong turn”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
To cut a long, and in my childhood oft repeated,
story short, this almost invariably ended with us sipping tea and nibbling cake
in the kitchen/parlour/drawing room of the strangers’ house before we kids went
to play in the garden with inevitable dogs and the adults had a tour of the
property. Curiosity satisfied, at least until next weekend. Now I’ve got that
off my chest we really can ignore that first gentle brush with motion sickness
and get back to the real thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The aforementioned multi-lingual sick-bag was to
be found in a cramped inside cabin on the Dutch cruise liner Neu Amsterdam.
Mother, brother and I were, for some reason now unclear to me, making our way
from Southampton to the Irish port town of Cobh by way of the second leg of the
ship’s trans-Atlantic voyage from Rotterdam to New York. Quite why we didn’t
take the train and ferry or fly as we had done before I don’t recall.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Ship-board life seemed rather grand until we met
an enormous Atlantic swell in the Channel and the great vessel began to sway
like an inverted pendulum. Meal services were curtailed, water slopped heavily
out of the swimming pools, Mother threw up her false teeth over the ship’s rail
and I retreated to the little cabin to wallow in self-pity. Lying in my narrow
bunk I was utterly incapacitated by the effects of the ship’s movement and
quietly prayed for death; or at least a speedy arrival in Ireland. That’s the
thing about motion sickness and me, the instant the motion stops the symptoms
disappear. Rather like childbirth (so I’m told) I seem to forget the hours of
hell in an instant and become immediately willing to subject myself to a another,
similar ‘moving’ experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
So in part, that is how I came to my next, rather
more sustained and significantly more unpleasant, experience with the restless
sea. For yet another forgotten purpose, when I finished school I was determined
to join Father and brother in the English West Country. As a commercial fisherman.
Now with hindsight this can be seen as a questionable choice for someone
evidently predisposed to seasickness but with the blithe and blinkered
determination of male teenage, I went west. Almost literally, or so it felt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
If you have never experienced the rearing deck of
crab fishing boat, tossed on a raging sea, tormented by winds that whip spray
from the wave crests, driving it into eyes and ears, as a cold grey dawn rises
to the east of some remote place a hundred miles south of the Devon coast, I
probably don’t have words adequate to describe it. Seasickness is a
psychological malaise as much as a physical one and the torment knew no bounds.
In an environment where the men were tough and laughed in the face of
adversity, it was an added misery to be the sickly kid barely able to
contribute to the task of catching crustaceans and even less able to justify a
share of the proceeds from the catch. Especially awkward that as soon as the
catch was landed and we hit the pub, I felt fine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Suffice to say that I have since dabbled in
offshore yacht racing (a mix of becalmed boredom and storm-driven chaos), served
as an apprentice in the Royal Navy and navigated ships in the Merchant Navy, so
there have been plenty of other aquatic experiences that have challenged my
semi-circular canals. But none of them can support my assertion that motion
sickness can kill. What this catalogue of deeply unpleasant episodes did reveal
is that some of us can be ‘desensitised’ from the undesirable effects of the
condition. After the first predictably nauseous 24 hours at sea the symptoms
would vanish and I could spend the rest of each voyage reading books, eating
meals and doing my job just like a real seafarer. Of course, I did begin to
suffer from ‘land sickness’ when returning from a long spell at sea but that is
another story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Having learned of my vulnerability to motion
sickness, my next adventure was not the obvious choice. I decided that I needed
to become a pilot. Not just any pilot but a military pilot. Not just any
military pilot but one of the ones who flies jets. The ones who roar around the
place at airshows making lots of noise, pulling lots of g-s, before turning on
a sixpence and coming back to do it again. It turns out that isn’t all they do
either; they spend some time hurtling through the twisting valleys of Wales or
chasing each other around the sky in mock dog-fights. Mostly because it’s good
fun. Unless you get airsick of course…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I started my flying career on a fairly sedate jet
trainer – capable of 300 knots through the air but nevertheless sedate in
comparison to what was to come. However, there was a new problem I hadn’t
bargained for. I discovered I was a bit of a party animal in what was, to be
frank, ‘party town’. A horde of young aspiring fighter pilots all vying for the
attention of; well of anyone who would pay them attention. Drinking alcohol appeared to
be an essential element of every activity except flying. There was even a beer
fridge in the squadron crew room and a polished stainless steel Harvey Wall-banger
bucket hanging from a bracket on the wall. I suspect those days have gone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
0700 AM met brief with a raging hangover could be
a bit of challenge in itself but a 45 minute general handling sortie of steep
turns and stalls, seated cheek-by-jowl next to a vigilant and critical
instructor, was a whole new game.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Feeling OK today Gillespie?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“Hundred and ten percent Sir! Ready to give it a
thrashing.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Apparently, hangovers are also a form of emetic
and I learnt my lesson quickly, after sheepishly carrying a soggy sick bag back
to the line office. Motion sickness wasn’t going to kill me just yet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The rest of the basic flying training went well
from what I recall, apart from a 300 knots encounter with a seagull just above
the Northamptonshire countryside. With surprising inertia for a bird it peeled
open the metal nose of the aircraft, turned itself into mince and obliterated
the entire of my windscreen. Fortunately, there was a colleague in the other
seat who could still see and safely flew us home.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Non-hangover induced airsickness, the real thing,
turned up early in the next phase of training. Very early. With good reason the
first scheduled sortie of most flying courses is something of a demo flight; no
specific exercises just a chance for the instructor to show how the new
aircraft type performs. With far less good reason most instructors seem to interpret
this loose sortie plan to mean ‘throw the aeroplane around at the very limits
of its performance to see just what the student is made of’. Mercifully, in the
new aircraft the student sat in front of the instructor not beside him but it
was still tricky to disguise retching and vomiting into a paper bag whilst
upside down at 500 knots.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
This was the first of a number of unfortunate
events and, although we discovered that I was far less prone to sickness when
doing the flying myself, it was only a matter of time before lost and curtailed
sorties raised a question mark over my career. The doctors tried medication but
as I suspected, the tablets were placebos and had no noticeable effect. Turns
out you can’t take conventional travel sickness pills and fly jets; who knew?
Something about drowsiness.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
At some point I remembered the desensitising
effects of prolonged exposure to motion at sea, perhaps that could help? Alarmingly,
the Doc’s response was to suggest a spell on the centrifuge at the Institute of
Aviation Medicine! Kill or cure. That sounded horrific so I hastily proposed an
alternative period of daily exposure to flying similar manoeuvres but as a
‘passenger’ in the back seat. Plenty of sorties flew with only one seat
occupied so this was viable and eventually the bosses were persuaded to give it
a try. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">quid pro quo </i>was that I
was suspended from training for the duration. Seemed a bit drastic to me but I
had no choice – it was that or the centrifuge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
And it worked. I had a bit of a struggle for the
first day or so but it didn’t matter because I wasn’t trying to fly as well as
vomit. Just like at sea, I soon lost sensitivity to the rolling, spinning,
looping and generally hurtling around and within weeks I was allocated a place
on the next course. Just with the proviso to ‘keep him flying’. A few months
later the course was complete and I was awarded my ‘wings’, now officially a
pilot. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Albeit</i> one rather prone to
motion sickness. Still not dead though.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Predictably, between the advanced flying course
and the next phase of tactical weapons training there was a gap in flying. What
happens in a gap? I become re-sensitised to motion and the whole thing begins
again. This course was designed to take well-trained pilots and teach them how
to fight; same plane so not much new there but the exercises were more
aggressive, more dynamic, more sickness inducing. One might expect this to have
been a course too far for me but contrarily, the worse it got the more
determined I became to keep going. And my bosses had spent a lot of time and
money on me by then so they had no incentive to let me go.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The solution? Same again: suspended from training,
sat in the back, daily flying, short period of struggle then sorted. The time
between courses was a bit longer this time so they dreamed up ‘useful’ things
for me to do while I waited for the next course to start. I was taught how to aerial
tow an air-to-air gunnery target for example. Bearing in mind there were
weapons students loosing off live rounds of ammunition a few hundred metres
behind my aircraft, hopefully destined for the ‘flag’ target, it wasn’t my
favourite option. Rather better was leading the ‘cine weave’ exercise, as the
pursuers fought to keep my aircraft in their gun sight as I banked and rolled
ahead of them. No live ammo but the collision risk was significant.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I was beginning to enjoy myself and getting very
comfortable with the aircraft. One morning I was assigned to fly in the back
seat with one of the instructors, on a ‘bounce’ sortie. Two other similar jets
had been tasked with a low-level simulated bombing mission, following a route
through the Welsh countryside to attack a couple of targets. ‘Low-level’ for a
training flight was constrained by a 250 feet minimum separation distance,
meaning they had to stay at least 250 feet above the ground and anything
attached to the ground. The same rule applied to us and it was our job to find
them, ‘attack’ them and stop them hitting their targets.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
We knew their planned route, which was very helpful
and perhaps slightly unrealistic, and we knew they would be flying at 420
knots, or 7 miles a minute, so we could work out where they would be at any
given time. Before take-off the front-seater and I agreed the best spot for our
ambush would be in valley to the northeast of the town of Carmarthen. The
attack pair set off and after short time we barrelled down the runway, took off
and banked steeply out over the Bristol Channel, as we had so many times
before.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Things happen fast at 400 plus knots and soon we
flashed over the Welsh coast at the Gower Peninsula. No time to admire the
view, we had planes to catch! Leaving Carmarthen to our right we banked around
the outskirts and dropped down into a valley to the north of the town, perfect
cover for our attack. The aircraft did not have a radar altimeter but from
experience I judged that we were spot on our minimum separation distance of 250
feet above the valley floor, with trees and fields whipping past on either side.
My estimate was later proven to be eerily accurate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Visibility was a bit misty but as I looked out to
our left, I saw the dark angular webbed outline of an electricity pylon,
perched on the ridge line above us. Quickly looking to the right, I saw a
similar pylon silhouetted against the pale grey sky behind it. Chances were
that there was something joining these two together.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I just had time to shout “Pylons!” before
something dark flicked past the canopy and our little cockpit world lit up in
great blue flash of light. This was followed immediately by the illumination of
just about every warning light the instrument panel had, accompanied by a
deafening a cacophony of bells and horns. Something clearly wasn’t as it should
have been.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The instructor pulled back on the control column
sending us almost vertically skywards, gaining precious altitude in case our
one engine was damaged. As we shot up, the pilots of our target aircraft just a
few miles away had seen the bright flash of light and broke off their mission
to investigate. What they saw was our jet trailing a plume of what they thought
was smoke and told us on the radio. It later turned out to be a fine mist of
hydraulic fluid leaking from the damaged wing but the message had the effect of
focusing our attention even more, if that were possible. We discussed whether
we would need to eject, and I nervously tightened my straps in anticipation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
But wait a minute, the engine was still running,
the aircraft was still flying and it was responding correctly to the controls.
Perhaps we weren’t going to die. Thoughts turned to other things.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
“We’re going to be in trouble for this”, groaned
my colleague.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I was a bit offended by the ‘we’ part but it
wasn’t the time to argue. After assessing the damage and finding what bits of
the aircraft were still working, we headed to the nearest available military
airfield. Miraculously we were soon parked on the runway and clambering out of
the cockpit to some very welcome <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">terra
firma</i>. It looked as if someone had taken a giant can-opener to our wings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The subsequent board of enquiry determined that
the aircraft had hit and severed the top three cables between the pylons, at 70
degrees of right bank and about 440 knots. The left wing took out the top cable
and the right wing took care of the pair below. Clearly, we hadn’t maintained
the requisite separation from the cables! Lucky for us, geometry showed that in
normal conditions the lowest point of the cables would be 246 feet above the
valley floor. The bosses seemed to think that was an acceptable margin of
error.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
So did I die? No. But it was frighteningly clear
that if we had been wings level at impact and any of the cables had struck the
cockpit canopy, it would have taken the canopy off and both our heads with it. I
understand that’s usually fatal. And was motion sickness to blame? Well I was
only in that seat, at that time, flying down that valley because of my
recurring airsickness, so I think so, yes… Motion sickness <u>can</u> kill!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-26676291771831361842019-11-20T15:11:00.000+00:002019-11-20T15:11:52.015+00:00SEE & AVOID - A SOUND COLLISION AVOIDANCE STRATEGY?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">ICAO standards and consequently most
regulatory jurisdictions state that pilots have an obligation to be ‘vigilant’
so as to see and avoid other aircraft – here is an example:</span></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>US FAA Regulation 14 CFR Part 91.113
(b)</b> states:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
</div>
<div style="direction: ltr; line-height: normal; margin: 0pt 0in; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
</div>
<div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-style: italic;">…vigilance shall be maintained by
each person operating an aircraft so as to see and avoid other aircraft</span></div>
<br />
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">In many ways this has come to be seen as the last line of defence
in collision prevention but we know that it fails. We need to
understand why this is – what are the limitations to see and avoid?</span></div>
<br /><br />
<br />
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwq4Nsu-ccDMx5h4ngNQFnDkO3W3CeQAoPLbZ2yEpSUEXOc3X-nO1rugjosjh5GfcC9-7LNfOWydiDC3XCpsW8iXmap_bN7bj0CxBsjDoFMJfmwqLSZR2_KhO3fbOOKZQztJ-HJIH_Bs/s1600/NMAC3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="1320" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwq4Nsu-ccDMx5h4ngNQFnDkO3W3CeQAoPLbZ2yEpSUEXOc3X-nO1rugjosjh5GfcC9-7LNfOWydiDC3XCpsW8iXmap_bN7bj0CxBsjDoFMJfmwqLSZR2_KhO3fbOOKZQztJ-HJIH_Bs/s200/NMAC3.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">Firstly, there are significant physical
obstructions to a pilot’s line of sight, in the shape of the aircraft’s own
structure. In fact a pilot’s field of view as permitted by the size and shape
of the cockpit windows, only constitutes a small portion of the total sphere of
airspace around him or her. In some aircraft the wings may also present a
further external obstruction to their view. Moving one’s head may help mitigate
for things like window posts but nothing will permit observations below, above
or behind the aircraft. Pilots must understand that these are effectively blind
spots to any see and avoid strategy.</span></div>
<br /><br />
<br />
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">We are well aware from eyesight tests
that human vision varies substantially from one person to another. It is also
true that an individual’s own visual acuity can vary with time of day, fatigue,
light conditions etc. Those of us of a certain age also know that our eyesight
deteriorates with the passing years… The likelihood of actually seeing a
conflicting aircraft, even if it is within the field of view, is highly
dependent upon the visual acuity of the observer and there is no consistent
means to predict that.</span></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">We also know that the sensitivity of the
retina varies across its surface. The point at which the lens focuses the
image, the Fovea, is the most sensitive to colour and definition but this
diminishes as distance from the Fovea increases. Our peripheral vision, what we
see ‘out of the corner of the eye’ is relatively insensitive and is actually
best at detecting motion across the arc of vision. This is recognised in the
design of road traffic signals, which use not only a change of colour but a change of
light source position to attract our attention – rather like the wig-wag lights
on taxiways.</span></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">Another inherent visual factor is empty field myopia. At rest or in the absence of something to focus on, our eyes
focus at approximately half a metre distance. This means that when looking at
an empty sky, we may inadvertently be focused much too close and thereby
compromise the ability to see another aircraft in the distance. Other effects
like dirt on the windscreen can ‘trap’ the focus of the eye. It may be
necessary to deliberately choose objects in the distance to draw the focus out
to where the targets might be.</span></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtK6Ioq2UAK-Acgb3sgC0ydQjiRmOh2bHVW8r0dx3kBPhBmuNpDebBaxVtGh6YfcZgRDYaRzDc-8qBlQzTPcIRFm3cFC6UJYzLP_Brarzz27387Vgw5mv4Ak-ddrzq-Xm2frKeeU2VOk0/s1600/NMAC2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtK6Ioq2UAK-Acgb3sgC0ydQjiRmOh2bHVW8r0dx3kBPhBmuNpDebBaxVtGh6YfcZgRDYaRzDc-8qBlQzTPcIRFm3cFC6UJYzLP_Brarzz27387Vgw5mv4Ak-ddrzq-Xm2frKeeU2VOk0/s200/NMAC2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Pilots will be familiar with the effects
of glare from a low bright sun – it is quite simply impossible to look in that
direction let alone search for aircraft. Fighter pilots have always taken
advantage of this to attack ‘out of the sun’. To make it worse pilots may be
tempted to use sun visors or even charts and newspapers to block out the glare,
thereby increasing the area physically blocked from view. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Glare may also interact with atmospheric
effects like dust, haze, mist and precipitation to increase their effect on the
prevailing visibility. Whilst we know that VFR includes 5 kilometres of
visibility, this can vary dramatically in different directions with the
atmosphere and the light.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1sskctXDigfgUcjn-R-1-nPjUToYvUnjm2ShzLpTpEH5g7KnYXYDDow6O-014yVAhA0hva4MfMjGzgYXeFHJcrSGc2iz6PXiNcdvvUed2eQVC_gCKwGPGCldgG7KmRBhVrIxFl3EioYA/s1600/NMAC4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1sskctXDigfgUcjn-R-1-nPjUToYvUnjm2ShzLpTpEH5g7KnYXYDDow6O-014yVAhA0hva4MfMjGzgYXeFHJcrSGc2iz6PXiNcdvvUed2eQVC_gCKwGPGCldgG7KmRBhVrIxFl3EioYA/s200/NMAC4.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; mso-vertical-align-alt: auto; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">See and avoid may not be so hard if all
we had to do was look out of the window. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately,
pilots have many other things to do and cockpit workload often increases in the
same places that traffic density increases. This allows less and less time for
looking for aircraft precisely when there may be more to see. As with all
cockpit activities pilots must be careful not to become so absorbed with one
task as to forget to carry out another task, such as looking out.</span></div>
<br /><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkVK6F6l1nnXGZFRIr81jFodQ8UiCVjTD9H-rsOc0ofrBUemhifZHMUYcXz7XsNYGkvw12QxacITaqxvWzRv4mOx816fMryAZ_Nse9ZF0PpZuUhyeoVrUxBSBkOm1R6rD0KBlVpaccLQ/s1600/NMAC5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkVK6F6l1nnXGZFRIr81jFodQ8UiCVjTD9H-rsOc0ofrBUemhifZHMUYcXz7XsNYGkvw12QxacITaqxvWzRv4mOx816fMryAZ_Nse9ZF0PpZuUhyeoVrUxBSBkOm1R6rD0KBlVpaccLQ/s200/NMAC5.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">There
are a number of techniques recommended for more effective visual scanning. As well as
moving the head, pilots can divide the field of view up into segments and scan
each in turn in a systematic fashion. In the case of 2 pilots they might choose
to search their ‘half’ of the sky. Focusing on objects in the distance may help
avoid empty field myopia. Operators should research the various scan
techniques and train the ones most suited to their operation and environment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">Finally let’s look at a couple of
characteristics of distant visual targets. Firstly, the diagram on the left
demonstrates that geometrically an aircraft on a collision course will maintain
the same position in the field of view as it gets closer. This means that there
will be no angular movement of the target across the field of view and
therefore our peripheral vision will be less likely to detect it until it is
very close. The aircraft that is going to hit you may be the hardest to see.</span></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4I6jsoCrDc70Z2WD1n0Z24lFGpcrAV1xMY2pN32DSHPyVeYp_iCpYxxwTwE0ct2sKlsNAA3RJ0-QtkC1duK0My6ZIx-V7g61PuS2g9znsQppX4WJUkMDhUZNlDheunmyUsLou0Tta0Y/s1600/NMAC1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4I6jsoCrDc70Z2WD1n0Z24lFGpcrAV1xMY2pN32DSHPyVeYp_iCpYxxwTwE0ct2sKlsNAA3RJ0-QtkC1duK0My6ZIx-V7g61PuS2g9znsQppX4WJUkMDhUZNlDheunmyUsLou0Tta0Y/s1600/NMAC1.JPG" /></a></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; language: en-GB; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; language: en-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-color-index: 1; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: text1; mso-style-textfill-type: solid;">On the right is a diagram that shows the
visual arc described by an aircraft closing head on. This model is based on a
closing speed of 600 knots but even if we halve that, it indicates that a
target may only describe an arc of half a degree in our vision, when only 6
seconds from impact. It is still only 1 degree at 3 seconds, when the ‘avoid’
part is out of the question.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-51599516159917091712019-09-23T14:52:00.000+01:002019-09-23T14:52:07.697+01:00WHAT A GIRL (OR GUY) WANTS...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Looking at this representation of Maslow's hierarchy of human needs, would it be fair to say that most of us in the aviation industry (in the wealthy West at least) have taken care of the bottom 3 layers? We can probably expect to have food and shelter, a job with an income and some kind of family or community group to belong to.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SJFebXnqnXyhXSpiMaFWcfvFiGqSt639TxEdnlkgtxQ2qDEnA7N2Lbe_Ww0g2iuCiJFVmnWfAtlplFQ5xiGnqNtWondhZX7Zl2vwNmMsdvqs4QlsKLYPucGI5rFV2ma-eM3oHk5uq8Q/s1600/Maslow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="1068" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SJFebXnqnXyhXSpiMaFWcfvFiGqSt639TxEdnlkgtxQ2qDEnA7N2Lbe_Ww0g2iuCiJFVmnWfAtlplFQ5xiGnqNtWondhZX7Zl2vwNmMsdvqs4QlsKLYPucGI5rFV2ma-eM3oHk5uq8Q/s640/Maslow.png" width="640" /></a></div>
If so, that means we are all principally motivated to a greater or lesser extent by a desire for RESPECT, RECOGNITION and STATUS. Why does that matter? Well it also means that those around us have similar motivations, and perhaps if we deliver them their needs they will probably deliver for us.<br />
<br />
Worth a thought.<br />
<br /></div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-13120531234770089082019-07-02T11:56:00.000+01:002019-07-02T11:56:38.496+01:00SPECIAL CONDITION FOR VTOL AIRCRAFT - EASA's EXPLANATION<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Why a Special Condition?</b><br />
<br />
EASA has reviewed more than 150 VTOL project configurations, at different stages of maturity, all aiming at
addressing a potentially new market. The available data shows that there are a wide variety of configurations
with limited common characteristics except for a VTOL capability and distributed propulsion. Despite having
design characteristics of aeroplanes, rotorcraft or both, in most cases EASA was not able to classify these new
vehicles as being either a conventional aeroplane or a rotorcraft as covered by the existing certification
specifications.<br />
<br />
Applying either the certification specifications for aeroplane or for rotorcraft, depending on whether they are
rather an aeroplane or rather a rotorcraft, and only adding some modifications would not ensure equal
treatment. These new types of vehicles are designed to address the same new market – even though not always
the same segments. However CS-23 and CS-27 have significant differences, especially in terms of system Safety
Objectives and Operational aspects. EASA opinion is that it would not be fair to treat applicants differently based
on the regulatory starting point (CS-23 or CS-27) as it would probably favour some configurations, thus
preventing potentially innovative concepts to compete on the market.<br />
<br />
Instead, EASA favours to use objective based certification requirements, which provide the necessary flexibility
to certify innovative state-of-the-art designs and technology, to establish a common set of conditions for the
certification of these new concepts. Therefore EASA developed this VTOL Special Condition extensively based
on CS-23 Amendment 5, which is also largely harmonised with the FAAs Part 23, integrating elements of CS-27
and new elements where deemed appropriate. Accepted Means of Compliance (AMC) will be developed and,
when considered necessary, the most significant ones may be consulted publicly.<br />
<br />
The establishment of a common set of conditions will enable a fair competition and clarity for future potential
applicants. In addition, it will enable EASA to consider all vehicles with a Certification Basis based on the VTOL
Special Condition as “Special Category” aircraft. This classification will provide greater flexibility in the
Operational regulatory framework by enabling to tailor requirements to this type of aircraft rather than having
to use aeroplane or helicopter regulations. </div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-34427250247208045182019-06-20T13:08:00.000+01:002019-06-20T13:10:42.419+01:00SAFETY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS... WHAT?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
We have all learnt about safety management systems (SMS) and the 4
principal components - Safety Policy & Objectives, Safety Risk Management,
Safety Assurance and Safety Promotion. Buried in Safety Assurance, within the
sub-element Safety Performance Monitoring & Measurement are things called
safety performance indicators or SPIs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Most organisations have actually defined SPIs and slavishly track
them at SAG and SRB meetings. But many don't really understand what SPIs are
and what they should be doing for the business, so actually a lot of the effort
is wasted on meaningless data.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
Take a look at the diagram below - see how it shows SPIs as the
very foundation of an integrated safety management plan:<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsDw_nG2l12j_nimGUotBdT45mcY58NqnGz3-BlJCGesrhPtqEToxLSnW-B_pBolX2i7-MnPmVLCG6UbfkdheH5VhXftX_l_ww4NV1xTauzFm2hy2rKo1mV5uSSWomYWUpfwnKVmlcEU/s1600/ISMP.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="553" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsDw_nG2l12j_nimGUotBdT45mcY58NqnGz3-BlJCGesrhPtqEToxLSnW-B_pBolX2i7-MnPmVLCG6UbfkdheH5VhXftX_l_ww4NV1xTauzFm2hy2rKo1mV5uSSWomYWUpfwnKVmlcEU/s400/ISMP.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br />
Gates Aviation offers a one-day training course for aviation
organisations, which clearly explains and demonstrates how to set useful and
effective SPIs (and KPIs) that really answer the question:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">"How good is our safety
performance?"</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-85362155214246016982019-04-09T11:36:00.001+01:002019-04-09T11:36:56.206+01:00PILOT TRAINING - ARE WE GETTING IT RIGHT?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
The steering wheel of my old Reliant Scimitar motor
car once came off in my hands while I was driving. That was certainly
unexpected and the people who sold it to me would probably have said it couldn’t
happen. But it did, and I had to figure out how to steer the vehicle while
stopping in a safe (ish) place.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>I got
lucky I suppose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53cQvo3nq4I2Vn1IiUO5KWL4uB9hmhMfnCVdCiPZ4W-aWcc0pqxS96paXRZ7LNk_RSQN9-8kRYm4fwlVpDx9wEFPPu5_zdWVaa23ImS5LhA7hsCvliF0qAsGfJzzxlW06sJbBNdIOyNU/s1600/Scimitar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53cQvo3nq4I2Vn1IiUO5KWL4uB9hmhMfnCVdCiPZ4W-aWcc0pqxS96paXRZ7LNk_RSQN9-8kRYm4fwlVpDx9wEFPPu5_zdWVaa23ImS5LhA7hsCvliF0qAsGfJzzxlW06sJbBNdIOyNU/s320/Scimitar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
My thanks to Skybrary for <a href="https://bit.ly/2ImYXYY">https://bit.ly/2ImYXYY</a> - a summary of the
Preliminary Report on the investigation into the crash of B737 MAX 8 on 10 March
2019.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The way I read this summary (and I’m sure I’ll be
corrected if I’m wrong), the aircraft was technically flyable, although not in
a way the pilots had ever seen before and certainly not in a way they had
trained for. In fact, they did manage to fly it for a while, overcoming the
efforts of the automation to pitch the aircraft down into a suicidal dive, by
nose-up elevator and electric stabiliser trim inputs. But eventually it won…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
If we go back 10 years to AF447, the pilots were
also presented with something they had never seen and had never trained for.
The aircraft was technically flyable and operated to design but they couldn’t
work out what was happening and correct it. The Air Asia A320 that crashed in
2014 was flyable, although the captain’s well-intentioned actions had caused
the flight control systems to revert to ‘alternate law’. The pilots would have
seen alternate law in the simulator but never with a sudden and unexpected
onset.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I would be prepared to stake a substantial bet
that each of these crews could have easily and competently managed an engine
failure on the preceding take-off (and any other take-off). That’s what we have
trained them for. But these other random, unexpected and potentially startling
conditions are not trained and are therefore far more difficult to manage, just
like my steering wheel incident.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
So perhaps it is time be a bit more imaginative
and a bit less optimistic when designing flight training profiles and show
pilots some more extreme and unusual flight conditions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-10219966126299113172019-01-02T12:52:00.003+00:002019-01-02T12:53:45.650+00:00WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR A FATAL ACCIDENT?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The following bullet points are taken from the investigation report on a fatal turboprop accident in Nepal in 2017. The sad fact is that all of the listed operator deficiencies could easily have been identified and rectified in advance. No need for people to die and aircraft to be destroyed...<br />
<br />
Think about getting a fresh and independent pair of eyes to review your operational safety performance.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwE2tpHveokXINgiognlLeY3DskEPYChVu-sd4l2GjLb9_KZPo4lkAMiPLmFiMXx7TmeOhW5_65DArZVnOcFPjA473uiaYaVY6laFDdK7u-U7FRJH8BWxLvi2e-qaOKmd28R4Xy0OmRd0/s1600/Lukla+investigation.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="936" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwE2tpHveokXINgiognlLeY3DskEPYChVu-sd4l2GjLb9_KZPo4lkAMiPLmFiMXx7TmeOhW5_65DArZVnOcFPjA473uiaYaVY6laFDdK7u-U7FRJH8BWxLvi2e-qaOKmd28R4Xy0OmRd0/s640/Lukla+investigation.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My thanks to Skybrary for the text.</div>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-85798489032827360332018-07-13T11:55:00.002+01:002018-07-13T11:55:14.193+01:00PEOPLE ASK ME WHAT I DO...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You know how it is. Introduced to a complete stranger at a polite drinks party, once you have exhausted the pleasantries, one of you is going to ask "What do you do then?" My wife has taken to interjecting with "He's a pilot", which was once true of course, because she has grown tired of watching me struggle to explain what I actually do. With a little time to think, here are some of the things I have done in the last couple of years:<br />
<br />
Written and presented a course on Compliance Monitoring to an airline in Nepal, which almost unbelievably operates helicopters to Everest Base Camp as a routine, and exceptionally up to Camp 2 in emergencies;<br />
Closely engaged with an ambitious and rapidly expanding airline in the UK, helping to develop an organisational culture which embraces the concept of a Management System as defined in ORO.GEN.200;<br />
Spoken on the merits of procedural compliance at the Eurocontrol Safety Behaviours Forum in Brussels;<br />
Run a human performance and error management workshop for a large group of anaesthetists at a hospital in Essex - interestingly they invited me to observe the teams in action for two days in live theatres ahead of the workshop, to better understand their work (challenging for someone who doesn't do blood very well);<br />
Conducted an audit of a UK operator's management system, using the new EASA Management System Assessment Tool for the first time;<br />
Acted as an expert witness in flight operations and safety in a European airline's defence against injury claims (all successfully to date);<br />
On the subject of expert witnesses, I have developed and delivered a course on how to present expert evidence (see below);<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokcFZaFBjzCMtuu9HznpJoZdAkPjHMC4bS3daD2uYC8_LKrk4eG6kuixWB-x_VKpbX82Nw1KZbH59Qd1Ghq9eQ0g-bXypozvGMPRHg7fDpUPCrcQywQLSarz4yO9wOXl44mVUxUjN6yM/s1600/Lukla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokcFZaFBjzCMtuu9HznpJoZdAkPjHMC4bS3daD2uYC8_LKrk4eG6kuixWB-x_VKpbX82Nw1KZbH59Qd1Ghq9eQ0g-bXypozvGMPRHg7fDpUPCrcQywQLSarz4yO9wOXl44mVUxUjN6yM/s320/Lukla.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lukla, NEPAL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Delivered Safety Management System initial and recurrent training to another Nepalese operator - this one ferries thousands of trekkers each year in and out of Lukla, gateway to Everest and one of the world's more challenging destinations;<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Led a safety review of an extreme aviation sports portfolio in the Middle East - skydiving, paramotors, gyrocopters etc;<br />
Delivered Upset Prevention & Recovery Training (UPRT) to a group of flight instructors in Lithuania;<br />
Presented seminars on Evidence Based Training to operators and industry professionals from around Europe and Africa;<br />
Trained departmental Risk Champions for a UK operator;<br />
Developed and directed several emergency response exercises;<br />
<br />
You see why my wife says I'm a pilot...<br />
<br /></div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-75785477129790326942018-06-28T13:45:00.000+01:002018-06-28T13:45:26.120+01:00EXPERT WITNESS PREPARATION<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Are you an expert in your field? If you are there is some possibility that you may be asked to act as an expert witness in a court case or arbitration. While you no doubt know your own subject very well, the first time you prepare written evidence for the court and your first physical appearance in the witness box can seem quite daunting. Firstly, there are strict rules around the instruction of experts. Secondly, court procedure can be rather confusing. And finally, an experienced legal professional is going to do his or her best to dismantle your evidence and discredit your expertise.<br />
<br />
Gates Aviation has recognised this challenge and recently launched a familiarisation programme for prospective expert witnesses. This consists of a four hour face-to-face training session with a seasoned expert witness at a location of your choice, and an escorted visit to court when experts are giving evidence. It doesn't matter what your field of expertise, this is all about delivering evidence rather than what's in it.<br />
<br />
If you want to be confident that your evidence is compliant and that you know what to expect in court, contact <a href="http://www.gatesaviation.com/" target="_blank">Gates Aviation</a> to discuss this programme of expert witness preparation.</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-57371307832765999362018-04-17T14:10:00.000+01:002018-04-17T16:58:15.439+01:00RISK & PROBABILITY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
During audits and safety meetings I have often
been asked ‘what are your top 5 risks?’ I have a problem with that question…</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Let me start with a closer look at how the
aviation industry historically quantifies ‘risk’. Once the system identifies a ‘hazard’
in the operating environment, we reach for a risk matrix of some kind –
typically based on the 5 x 5 example described in ICAO Doc 9859, the Safety
Management Manual. You know the one: ‘severity’ along one axis and ‘probability’
along the other. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IbjVLFFs5vJ0MzOLc58uzwdfpS0Xvi1gl7DcAaGpuRe7yZzbm_QjJ473IBoRSbM2kHeeeI5xwySzQDemcwARzwiHNN5f6TKWC0zQcCchnJ43wTwTWjj6xrhETPLfOQLKZn1K7R8g2tw/s1600/Matrix.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="495" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IbjVLFFs5vJ0MzOLc58uzwdfpS0Xvi1gl7DcAaGpuRe7yZzbm_QjJ473IBoRSbM2kHeeeI5xwySzQDemcwARzwiHNN5f6TKWC0zQcCchnJ43wTwTWjj6xrhETPLfOQLKZn1K7R8g2tw/s320/Matrix.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I don’t really have a problem with the severity
scale; it seems quite reasonable to imagine what the ‘worst case feasible
outcome’ of the hazard could be and attach a severity in relation to the word
pictures associated with the scale. But what about probability? Across the
scale you will usually see 5 possible choices ranging from ‘very likely’ to ‘very
unlikely’ or similar. What do they mean? If you look in the dictionary for ‘likely’
it will say something like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘such as well
might happen or be true; probable’</i> but that won’t mean a lot to a risk
assessor. To help we tend to develop simpler word pictures to try and make the
choice easier and more consistent or we might add a mathematical probability
like ‘once in 10,000 flights’.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The trouble is that, once we have accepted that
there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> a probability of greater
than zero, we need to be prepared for the outcome to happen at any time. Even
if the probability is once in 10,000,000 flights, that accepts that it could
occur on the next flight or the 10,000,000<sup>th</sup> one, or anywhere in
between. So for any activity that we propose to repeat indefinitely, like going
flying, we must accept an inevitable occurrence whatever the probability.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Can I tell you what my ‘top 5’ risks are? No. While
each of my identified hazards may have differing probabilities, they <u>do</u>
have a probability and I don’t know which is going to happen next. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br /></div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-88656682786950674912017-03-29T09:50:00.000+01:002017-03-29T09:50:04.618+01:00A380 WAKE TURBULENCE AND CHALLENGER BIZJET UPSET<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A British national daily among other media outlets has been running with a story that a Bombardier Challenger business jet encountered wake turbulence from an Airbus A380 over the Indian Ocean. The story says that the encounter was so severe that the bizjet was rolled inverted and lost 10,000 feet in altitude. Photos of the cabin interior show total devastation and when the aircraft was diverted to Muscat, Oman, some passengers were taken to hospital.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pT7xbFlzo5Rt-g4ijmI2Mq08rLH29MxdQsd_jG_jBBZAJBrIoP_xuJjs9on3Ci3MebJJyWxMUvOgNkfyj0746OEnzUOBsicfaqLf6towjWdhToU4TiQMoKReyd7lLWr3FqspOK0fhKM/s1600/Emirates-A380-Aircraft+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pT7xbFlzo5Rt-g4ijmI2Mq08rLH29MxdQsd_jG_jBBZAJBrIoP_xuJjs9on3Ci3MebJJyWxMUvOgNkfyj0746OEnzUOBsicfaqLf6towjWdhToU4TiQMoKReyd7lLWr3FqspOK0fhKM/s320/Emirates-A380-Aircraft+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
But wait a minute, the A380 has been in service for over 10 years and there are now more than 200 of them criss-crossing the skies every day. Much of the world's upper airpsace is operated on reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM), meaning that vertical separation between opposite direction aircraft is 1,000 feet.<br />
<br />
So why hasn't this happened before? We know that the A380 has a higher wake turbulence category but if it was dragging around vortices capable of inverting a sizeable business jet, surely there would have been more severe wake turbulence reports by now?<br />
<br />
Or perhaps there is something we don't know...</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-27089867956984706852017-01-31T12:12:00.001+00:002017-01-31T14:17:43.106+00:00COGNITIVE DISSONANCE - a factor in 'Pressonitis'?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Firstly I should make it clear that I am not a psychologist, nor in the
truest sense of the word am I a scientist, although as an aviator I have a
broad understanding of a lot of science. My knowledge of this topic in
particular comes from extensive research into why pilots were flying approaches
to land - the ‘approach’ being the last part of the flight descending towards
the runway - when all of the available evidence indicated that the landing
could not be achieved either safely or in compliance with operating procedures.
The approach trajectory was either too steep or too shallow, the aircraft was
too fast or too slow or the landing gear and flaps were not in the correct
configuration. Pilots’ standard operating procedures required them to execute a
‘go-around’ in such circumstances, to abandon the approach, climb away safely
and start again but some were simply not complying. This ‘unstable approach’
phenomenon as it is known, has been one of the most common contributory factors
in commercial aviation accidents over the last 30 years or more but the
tendency to press on in spite of the evidence is not unique to pilots.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">This brought me to the work of Bluma Zeigarnik, a psychologist and
psychiatrist born in Lithuania at the turn of the last century. She is probably
best known for studies inspired by her Professor’s observation that a waiter
appeared to have a much better recollection for orders that had yet to be paid
for, than those which had already been settled. The waiter’s workflow involved
taking the order, delivering the food and drinks and finally taking the money,
at which point the workflow would be finished. He stored the order in his
memory until the customer had paid and then subconsciously dumped it. In other
words an incomplete pattern of work held a much higher priority for retention
in the memory than one which was effectively completed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lceQtCh-kpePLp5RhTMPnGrkdxyenR7Jm4z6Bs4P85g2VTu_bV_tPP0ra3OVVJ43KMdfu0YZFOuGMR2QLPnmseSDK6FjProF8y_ljrs0lfXiEZRKoGd1nxpVfOEAlWfO5wk-RZis4qk/s1600/Bluma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lceQtCh-kpePLp5RhTMPnGrkdxyenR7Jm4z6Bs4P85g2VTu_bV_tPP0ra3OVVJ43KMdfu0YZFOuGMR2QLPnmseSDK6FjProF8y_ljrs0lfXiEZRKoGd1nxpVfOEAlWfO5wk-RZis4qk/s320/Bluma.jpg" width="232" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Zeigarnik went on to study school children learning in class and found
that those who were interrupted in the course of their work remembered more,
and more accurately, than those who were allowed to finish without
interruption. In isolation that is interesting but doesn’t tell us a great
deal. However, Zeigarnik and her successors have shown that the increased
memory retention is attributable to a heightened level of cognitive arousal
whilst a task is being conducted, which is replaced by a more satisfied lower
arousal once the task is successfully completed. The heightened cognitive arousal
was in turn attributed to a degree of discomfort that the goal may fail,
discomfort that could only be assuaged by success. Nowadays we know this as the
‘Zeigarnik Effect’. To take it one step further, research suggested that humans
remember bad things more clearly than they remember the good things; perhaps
from a survival perspective this makes sense – we remember what has done us
harm so that we can avoid it in future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">So finally, the outcome of this ‘cognitive dissonance’, the disparity
between aspiration and reality during the conduct of a task, is that we humans harbour
a compelling desire to complete a task once we have commenced it. This can be
so compelling that we may press on although all of the indications, our
instincts and maybe even our own colleagues are telling us to stop and rethink
the strategy. This is what we found with the ‘unstable approaches’ continued to
landing – pilots had become so focused on achieving the goal that they were
able to ignore the evidence that it was failing – and it probably applies to
many other aspects of professional and personal life.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-89296386065610513792017-01-12T14:40:00.000+00:002017-01-12T14:46:06.257+00:00AIR CRASHES - 3 DIFFERENT THINGS – BUT ARE THEY CONNECTED?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
The first of these three things I have mentioned in
this blog before. I spend a lot of time taking apart fatal aviation accidents,
looking for the influences and factors which came together in the unique combination
that allowed each ‘accident’ to happen. In recent years one of the most common
precursors to a crash is procedural non-compliance – deviation from standard
operating procedures by one or more of those involved. The reasons that pilots
and other professionals deviate in this way are many and often related to
complex human behavioural conditions; it is worth looking at Abraham Maslow’s
hierarchy of human needs for insight into some of them. Whatever the underlying
reasons, prior to a crash the captain will frequently decide to do something
contrary to their training and procedures, that will eventually lead to their own
demise. Sadly their co-pilots often look on, aware that all is not well but
saying nothing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The second thing is ‘risk denial’; maybe I have
raised it in earlier posts. This is a condition that arises when we are
regularly exposed to a particular, perhaps severe, hazard but it never actually
does us any harm. Over time we may subconsciously adopt a mind-set that whilst
the severity could be very high, the probability or likelihood is so low that
it can be disregarded. Imagine passing a heavy truck in the opposite direction
on a narrow lane – the obvious action would be to slow down and pull in to the
side of the road to let it pass safely but every time you have passed a truck
no harm has come of it. So you are able to ‘deny’ the risk, despite its
blatancy, and drive on as normal with a metre or less between you and death.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
So here is the final thing and I wonder if there
is a connection between the three? Modern movies, TV shows and most
significantly computer games allow us to experience horrifically dangerous and
deadly situations without suffering any (other than perhaps psychological)
harm. Could that have led to a general conditioning of westernised humanity (including
pilots) to be able to subconsciously ignore hazards and adopt risky behaviours
on the assumption that we will come to no harm however bad things look? After
all, passengers now routinely collect their baggage before evacuating an aircraft,
despite the high risk of fire and explosion. I don’t know…<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-34090038011042303382016-10-25T11:38:00.001+01:002016-10-31T13:37:47.551+00:00WHY NOT DEBRIEF?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
After every mission military pilots and their crew
will hold a debrief to discuss want went well and what could have been
done better. This is an opportunity for those involved in the task to recognise
superior performance and to learn by addressing any deficiencies – makes sense
right?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
However, post-flight debriefs in commercial
aviation are quite rare, in spite of the obvious potential value. In many
regulatory jurisdictions pilots and cabin crew are only considered to be ‘on
duty’ until 30 minutes after ‘on-chocks’ time so there is a limited window of
opportunity. Furthermore, the crew for the next scheduled flight will
frequently be waiting to get on board to maximise preparation time during the
short turnaround period. Perhaps most influential is the fact that it isn’t ‘the
way we do things around here’ – it’s not part of the culture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
A pilot would think nothing of remarking on a colleague’s
smooth landing in difficult crosswind conditions for example but there is
unlikely to be much discussion about it if it went less well. The absence of a
debrief effectively implies that the entire flight proceeded satisfactorily and
in accordance with standard operating procedures: there were no errors,
deviations, distractions and consequently no opportunities to learn. Any pilot
knows that is never the case but without a professional conversation
immediately afterwards, the implication becomes reinforced.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Pilots are well used to debriefs after training
flights so why not after every flight?<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-78708398957308175032016-10-25T11:38:00.000+01:002016-10-31T10:38:32.246+00:00MORE ON CULTURE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
'Culture', a term we hear used a lot in aviation these days; organisational culture, reporting culture, safety culture, just culture... You name it, there's an applicable culture. But what does it mean?<br />
<br />
If you look it up in a dictionary it will say something like 'common behaviours and beliefs shared by a group', and offer examples such as youth culture or drug culture. Alternatively you might hear it described as 'the way we do things around here'. These definitions imply that everyone in a group does certain things the same way, so how does that happen?<br />
<br />
An example that comes to mind relates to the flashing of car headlights. Here in my native England, if someone else flashes their headlights at me I understand it to mean 'go ahead', and so does just about everyone else. However, I spent 17 years resident in Dubai, UAE, where flashing headlights means (emphatically) 'get out of my way!' One step further, if you are lucky enough to experience the joy of driving in Nairobi, Kenya, you will find a more complex flash-code. One long flash equates to 'don't go there', whereas two short flashes means 'please go ahead'.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgRwhsSap9o7QRScqgZWw2RZAV7l9M64NPzK0NvgxHxqmen1buUNCz6YlcH8nm8jzaX0r-J9-m0P8U_hv6BqU-_nUXEN0DCWUL10cSeoH8nBjwpK2vfPQ09rb98TklO4A4_Qlx1VDRJk/s1600/Headlights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPgRwhsSap9o7QRScqgZWw2RZAV7l9M64NPzK0NvgxHxqmen1buUNCz6YlcH8nm8jzaX0r-J9-m0P8U_hv6BqU-_nUXEN0DCWUL10cSeoH8nBjwpK2vfPQ09rb98TklO4A4_Qlx1VDRJk/s320/Headlights.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Now nowhere are these 'languages' written down but you can see that failure to assimilate them quickly could result in an unpleasant outcome - we humans are fast learners when it comes to survival. That is the way they do things around here and so we will do it too. An important lesson in culture; we tend to emulate those around us, whether we think it is right or wrong.<br />
<br />
As a post script it is worth considering the likelihood of misunderstandings as a result of modern automatic headlight systems.</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-63685086161620924112016-09-06T15:19:00.003+01:002016-09-06T16:09:09.073+01:00PILOTS MUST THINK LIKE THEIR AEROPLANES...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;">
So the preliminary findings of the investigation
into the Boeing 777 that crashed on landing in Dubai in August are that the
pilots touched down ‘long’ and elected to initiate a ‘baulked landing’
manoeuvre, presumably to reduce the risk of an overrun. Baulked landing is very
similar to a go-around – press the TOGA (take-off/go-around) switches to
automatically increase thrust (the 777 has two levels of thrust response
depending on the number of presses), partly retract the flap and once climb is
established raise the gear. However, with wheels on the ground the
TOGA switch thrust response is inhibited so for a baulked landing the pilots
must advance the throttles manually. A subtle but crucial difference, which if not
practiced regularly, may be overlooked in the heat of the moment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSufXpBPEY6LiLPoBb1LU9Y2-bZhw0bvIgxnJ5QAFCGqpxO2OOu2piQnxBY7m31i-37JiRuSrWt7No5J1-JOoY29v-9c-O1cQPisLnbrOEnY_tlrFUR6BOsXDBVmCQaduNLFILx7AGj0/s1600/Throttle+Switches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSufXpBPEY6LiLPoBb1LU9Y2-bZhw0bvIgxnJ5QAFCGqpxO2OOu2piQnxBY7m31i-37JiRuSrWt7No5J1-JOoY29v-9c-O1cQPisLnbrOEnY_tlrFUR6BOsXDBVmCQaduNLFILx7AGj0/s320/Throttle+Switches.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Automation has all sorts of benefits in modern
aircraft but due to the very wide range of operating environments and
manoeuvres, it has different regimes of logic for different phases of flight.
If these regimes are not fully understood, together with the conditions that
bring about the transition from one to another, then the automation and hence
the aircraft, may not respond as expected. This is not unique to Boeing and
Airbus aircraft have suffered accidents for similar reasons. Today’s pilots
must learn to ‘think like their aeroplane thinks’…</span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-WeDL9xkp8H-4kndzbd5tLmMfI9k4iD9tG90-U2gC87lElVZGjbw9GwMDBj7h-xsYq-KnbqbJO0zZVUlY2Z04U-XBIIEPz4XZDXXp6E1NbfSSsaoHFbo9ZuuPtTSqlyoP1521FC1jWM/s1600/777+FCOM+GA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-WeDL9xkp8H-4kndzbd5tLmMfI9k4iD9tG90-U2gC87lElVZGjbw9GwMDBj7h-xsYq-KnbqbJO0zZVUlY2Z04U-XBIIEPz4XZDXXp6E1NbfSSsaoHFbo9ZuuPtTSqlyoP1521FC1jWM/s400/777+FCOM+GA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-75238868339623250852016-09-05T12:24:00.000+01:002016-09-05T12:24:06.915+01:00HEALTH-CHECK YOUR SAFETY CULTURE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is a bit of fun but it also has a serious side - give it a try and see how your organisation fares. We put it together to give you the opportunity for a bit of honest self-analysis of the culture with regard to safety and risk in your business. It doesn't purport to be a comprehensive analysis but it should give you an insight into how things are going.<br />
<br />
If you come out with a score of 15 - 17 things are probably going pretty well but less than 10 could indicate that you have some systemic cultural and/or organisational safety issues which need to be addressed. At Gates Aviation we have a collaborative and realistic approach to resolving these issues without turning the business on its head. Give Sean Gates a call on +44 (0)207 4696437 or e-mail sgates@gatesaviation.com .<br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableMediumShading1Accent6" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-themetint: 191; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="background: #F79646; border: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 462.1pt;" width="770">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 5; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: 14pt;">ORGANISATIONAL
SAFETY CULTURE HEALTH CHECK</span><span style="color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 5; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white; mso-themecolor: background1;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Score 1 for ‘True’,
0.5 for ‘Part true’ and 0 for ‘False’<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Statement<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">True<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Part true<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">False<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Score<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The organisation has a clear safety
policy:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is a policy statement with respect to safety
and risk, that is written in simple and clear language, agreed by senior
management and signed by the CEO/MD/Accountable Manager<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The safety policy reflects reality:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The terms of the policy reflect the genuine intent of the organisation’s
management with regard to the safety of people, property and the environment<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The organisation has clear safety
objectives:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are a number of clearly stated and generally
SMART safety objectives (2-6), which reflect the specific goals of the
organisation with regard to safety and risk<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The safety objectives directly
support the safety policy:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is a recognisable link between the goals stated in the safety objectives
and the intent implicit in the safety policy<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Safety activities and initiatives directly
support the objectives:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The allocation of resources, the activities of the
safety department and the safety initiatives of the organisation demonstrably
support the objectives</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The safety objectives are widely
known and understood:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Most personnel, especially those in front line safety critical roles,
can articulate at least the intent of the safety objectives<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The safety objectives have
meaningful performance indicators:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Each safety objective has one or more metric or performance
indicator (SPI), which genuinely measures the organisation’s progress with
respect to that objective<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The performance indicators have valid
targets:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The organisation has defined realistic and achievable targets for each
SPI, and there is a process to review the targets regularly<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Performance in relation to targets
is regularly reviewed:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Senior management has a process to review safety
performance as indicated by the SPIs and the achievement of targets<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Failure to meet a performance target
is examined at senior level:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Failure to meet a performance target in the allocated time is analysed
by senior management and the reasons for failure identified and addressed<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Safety performance data is shared
throughout the organisation:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Safety performance as indicated by the SPIs and
targets is disseminated to all personnel in an appropriate and understandable
format <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Reporting of safety incidents and
accidents is a requirement:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All personnel have an explicit and contractual obligation to report
safety incidents and accidents via an established safety reporting programme<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Reporting of hazards and near-misses
is encouraged:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Personnel understand what constitutes a hazard and
a near-miss in safety terms and are positively encouraged to report them<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Incidents, accidents, hazards and
near-misses are investigated:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is a documented process to ensure that reported safety issues
receive an appropriate level of investigation by trained safety investigators<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Reporters are treated fairly:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Originators of safety reports are treated in a
fair and consistent manner, are assured of an appropriate degree of
confidentiality, and always receive acknowledgement and feedback<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Acceptable and unacceptable
behaviours are clearly defined:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are documented definitions of what constitutes acceptable and
unacceptable behaviour with regard to safety and risk<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Disciplinary processes are clear and
consistent:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 132;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The consequences for an individual found to have
behaved in an unacceptable manner with regard to safety and risk are clearly
defined and always consistent<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.4pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 33.45pt;" width="56">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 35.65pt;" width="59">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 128; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-left-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-left-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 326.15pt;" valign="top" width="544">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 68; text-align: right;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Total score:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td colspan="4" style="background: #FDE4D0; border-bottom: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-background-themecolor: accent6; mso-background-themetint: 63; mso-border-bottom-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-bottom-themetint: 191; mso-border-right-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-right-themetint: 191; mso-border-top-alt: solid #F9B074 1.0pt; mso-border-top-themecolor: accent6; mso-border-top-themetint: 191; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 135.95pt;" width="227">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-yfti-cnfc: 64; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-84333056270541245522016-08-01T14:22:00.000+01:002016-08-01T14:22:31.679+01:00SAFETY & SECURITY AUDIT IN A HIGH RISK LOCATION<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following is a 'guest post' from my Gates Aviation colleague John Edwards:</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #191919; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have recently completed a risk assessment of the
safety and security of an airline's crews, engineers and aircraft while
operating in a high risk environment during the period of a proposed wet lease.
The 'donor' airline was registered in a state that has, and the airline itself has
embraced, a relatively high level of risk aversion.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #191919; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #191919; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #191919; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is well known that there has been a longstanding
history of terrorist attacks against commercial (and military) aviation in the
location where the personnel and aircraft would be based and that numerous fatalities
have resulted.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #191919; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #191919; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #191919; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The state authorities advise that that "all
foreigners, may not move out of their city of residence without proper security
and without prior coordination with the law enforcement agency". The
approach taken to providing security in civilian life, especially in relation
to what might be considered 'soft targets' e.g. selected public highways and
shopping malls, was evident and likely to aid deterrence and detection (of terrorists
and planned attacks). There was meaningful evidence to suggest efforts had been
taken to harden these (previously soft) targets and protect the related
communities.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #191919; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #191919; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Security had been tightened at the state's international airports following a number of terrorist attacks in 2014 and further strengthened in 2015. A historic ban of locally registered airlines from operating into the EU for safety reasons had been lifted in 2015. ICAO and the USA consider that implementation of ICAO aviation safety standards in the state to exceed the global average. The airline with which the wet lease was proposed, is a member of IATA and therefore when last audited met the requirements of IOSA. Viewed in combination these facts provided evidence that the national aviation security and safety culture and infrastructure are widely considered to be sound. The main roads between the airports and hotels feature multiple manned checkpoints and the hotels where the crews and engineers were most likely to be staying, had robust security measures in place. The better quality shopping malls had entry search points operated by the military or other government agencies. It is known that places of worship and large public gatherings should be avoided and that periods leading-up to political elections can see increased civil tension and unrest. As in most business sectors and risk management environments, there was scope for continuous improvement to aviation security processes and procedures and implementation of best practices. But I considered existing measures to be relevant, adequate and sound. Accordingly, I concluded that subject to these measures being maintained, to the threat level not being raised to 'red' (the highest level) and to good situational awareness being exercised by operational personnel from the donor airline, when they are on site, the wet lease should not materially increase risk exposure. My assessment was that there are no substantive safety or security reasons why the proposed wet lease should not proceed as planned.</span></div>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-15121139650607457352016-07-27T10:29:00.000+01:002016-07-27T10:31:18.256+01:00HUMAN PERFORMANCE IN CONTROLLED FLIGHT INTO TERRAIN (CFIT)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 2.0pt; mso-outline-level: 2; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc435177996"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #365f91; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">The following is an extract from a research piece I did recently, which examined the factors involved in 11 controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) fatal accidents. This extract summarises the human performance factors and has some interesting findings:</span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 2.0pt; mso-outline-level: 2; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc435177996"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #365f91; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 2.0pt; mso-outline-level: 2; mso-pagination: widow-orphan lines-together; page-break-after: avoid; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Toc435177996"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #365f91; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">Analysis of
Human Performance Factors</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #365f91; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Human
performance deficiencies were identified in the investigations of all 11
accidents and human factors overwhelmingly dominated the lists of causes and
contributory factors. The study set out to analyze these deficiencies against
two separate models, the Dupont ‘Dirty Dozen’ and the Pilot Competencies Model,
as described at the outset. All of the accidents had identifiable factors from
both models; indeed some accidents appeared to include deficiencies in
virtually all of the Pilot Competencies together with many of the ‘Dozen’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">The
graph below shows the number of accidents from the original 11, in which each
of the markers from the Pilot Competencies Model was found to be deficient:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVsTyZvBRx5OpSjkmJ_RBQFOtEKANSI3gIinK0Upn-ehbwWJyWR9OY0fuDa_mhx04zh0_pPy9eii7blsQ1fXyaajEce2odw2ozjOsxBM0EPwxGh7trgfwaiffqCJkSOccQYIqrBxJDnY/s1600/DPC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVsTyZvBRx5OpSjkmJ_RBQFOtEKANSI3gIinK0Upn-ehbwWJyWR9OY0fuDa_mhx04zh0_pPy9eii7blsQ1fXyaajEce2odw2ozjOsxBM0EPwxGh7trgfwaiffqCJkSOccQYIqrBxJDnY/s400/DPC.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">It
is perhaps not surprising that the pilots in every accident exhibited deficient
Situational Awareness – had they been more aware of the situation it seems
likely that they would have taken more appropriate action to avoid terrain
proximity. It is disappointing to see that the pilots in all accidents were
also deficient in the application of their procedures but on the other hand
this may be encouraging, in that procedural compliance is possibly indicated as
a significant factor in the mitigation of CFIT risk. Poor communication was
also identified in most (8) of the accidents, supporting a view that CRM (crew resource management) in
general and communication in particular, are vital for the avoidance of CFIT.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">The
next graph illustrates the same data for the Dupont ‘Dirty Dozen’ markers:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxRh-WVpqTk7SL-Uht9ZI9j91yH1iDNXmfLSNmkUpz4oyKJdk07tUB0KX4OTLeMAlrdkPbs4c9FQQItmQ-6CeTw_16hbOHVlHOEpLTkfuz-gM_WB5ervyR6nqwpE2TZ50bBFGpCcd8zQ/s1600/Dupont.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxRh-WVpqTk7SL-Uht9ZI9j91yH1iDNXmfLSNmkUpz4oyKJdk07tUB0KX4OTLeMAlrdkPbs4c9FQQItmQ-6CeTw_16hbOHVlHOEpLTkfuz-gM_WB5ervyR6nqwpE2TZ50bBFGpCcd8zQ/s400/Dupont.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Once
again Lack of Awareness tops the table, appearing in all of the 11 accidents
and reflecting the deficient Pilot Competency of Situational Awareness above.
There is no Dupont marker that corresponds to the Pilot Competency of
Application of Procedures so we can’t see a correlation but Lack of Communication
again appears in the same 8 accidents. Lack of Teamwork and Lack of
Assertiveness were identified in over half of the accidents and these two
markers are in some ways related. If the Captain in particular is not a ‘team
player’ and fails to respect colleagues and their opinions, the FO may become
isolated and feel unable to intervene, even to save their own life. This risk
is exacerbated by a steep authority gradient in the cockpit. Norms featured as
a marker in almost half (5) of the accidents, when pilots developed and
employed their own processes, either when they found that the promulgated
process was inefficient, ineffective or difficult, or when there was no
applicable process for them to employ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Stress,
Pressure, Fatigue, Complacency and Distraction each appeared in only 3 or fewer
of the accidents but these conditions are sometimes difficult to identify from
investigation reports. Unless the CVR records specific and attributable voice
characteristics, or the individual mentions that they are affected by a
condition, it may be that the condition goes unnoticed in the investigation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">It
is worthy of note that neither model specifically addresses markers for
Monitoring and/or Cross-checking, although Lack of Awareness and Situational
Awareness respectively could be taken to include those competencies.
Deficiencies in monitoring and cross-checking were apparent in several of the
accidents. It is precisely these functions, functions we know humans perform
quite poorly, that the EGPWS/GPWS/TAWS seeks to augment in CFIT prevention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Finally,
the graph below combines the two models to show the number of markers
associated with each of the 11 accidents:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mx_YppztSTo1Y5MUEcsgTIzwnwTQi1yHwy1T1qq1Tmq4jbOPzhs7eszD-K_5_xHnHBhFcO0nzvpxawp-DD_qKB1SfV29sjXJoJcmBLA1mLCjc7nudfRXa-CxsXwGEFzk6jdprXXlI2k/s1600/Combined.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mx_YppztSTo1Y5MUEcsgTIzwnwTQi1yHwy1T1qq1Tmq4jbOPzhs7eszD-K_5_xHnHBhFcO0nzvpxawp-DD_qKB1SfV29sjXJoJcmBLA1mLCjc7nudfRXa-CxsXwGEFzk6jdprXXlI2k/s400/Combined.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Accidents
with a greater number of markers from one model also appear to have a similarly
greater number from the other model – total markers per accident varied from 7
to 14 but the variation between models was never greater than 2. This may
indicate that the two models identify similar human performance deficiencies
but it may also be a reflection of the amount of information available from the
accident reports upon which the study was based. These varied from a few pages
to well over one hundred.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-34175818097848805092016-07-08T10:58:00.000+01:002016-07-08T10:58:20.071+01:00MASLOW AND HIGH PERFORMERS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I saw this excerpt from a book on twitter today, written by a test pilot:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D3-hLQFtWJYPIItbix1QsgxrcgBEHvIBuQc07fjeOjQ7l_1ZIEwdEaprIDqBjzx1hZG1dqxjomwYJAqpVnNmv15tzmuUk6INddTZvJo2JhaaFVkfifg3huUKBXOMp2S-L9bLv1i9D8o/s1600/Fear.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6D3-hLQFtWJYPIItbix1QsgxrcgBEHvIBuQc07fjeOjQ7l_1ZIEwdEaprIDqBjzx1hZG1dqxjomwYJAqpVnNmv15tzmuUk6INddTZvJo2JhaaFVkfifg3huUKBXOMp2S-L9bLv1i9D8o/s400/Fear.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It reminded me of a different book written by the Australian Group Captain Doug Edwards many years ago. He wanted to explore the reasons why high-performing airmen like military display pilots sometimes died in accidents they could have escaped from. Why didn't they eject?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
His conclusion was a product of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of human needs (read about it in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>). This suggests that humans may fear loss of status and self-esteem just as much as they fear death. High performers can become 'addicted' to their status and will do just about anything to preserve it, struggling to rescue a hopeless situation beyond the point from which they can escape.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DOV7CKfBme062p2SAO8EfasEXuyPgPb7V9bc3LfRmFUOhPdL53i2TLCKWa32SePfgfPnZCXVI2Kkj87ZZdmUs7tJemlbc1COd_VgFj64MiV1v24GGhQAx23uszyl1wHHrFmakp0PxiM/s1600/maslow-pyramid.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DOV7CKfBme062p2SAO8EfasEXuyPgPb7V9bc3LfRmFUOhPdL53i2TLCKWa32SePfgfPnZCXVI2Kkj87ZZdmUs7tJemlbc1COd_VgFj64MiV1v24GGhQAx23uszyl1wHHrFmakp0PxiM/s400/maslow-pyramid.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs</div>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-33201933013456871032016-07-07T10:35:00.000+01:002016-07-07T10:35:26.990+01:00APPROACH BELOW MINIMUM IN IMC - DON'T...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Almost 30 years ago I was in the right hand seat of a BAC 1-11 narrow-body twin, on approach to Aberdeen. It was around 10 at night, dark, windy and raining - pretty standard stuff. We were on the last of 3 rotations to Heathrow and quite keen to get back to the hotel for a beer and some rest. And the captain had brought his wife along for the week detachment so she was waiting for him...<br />
<br />
He was flying down the non-precision approach, with the landing lights glaring onto the clouds in front of the windscreen and the anti-collision beacon intermittently looming orange. At around 500 feet from touchdown I called 'minimum' as dictated by the SOP and there was certainly nothing like a runway in sight. The captain replied - I forget what he said but we continued descending as before and about a hundred feet later the runway lights appeared through the rain and we touched down uneventfully.<br />
<br />
It was only later that it dawned on me what had happened - the captain had pressed on below minimum because he didn't want to divert. I was new to civil airline flying and new to the airline so wondered if that was how things were done around here. Of course I quickly learnt that it wasn't.<br />
<br />
This all came back to me last week when I read about an A330 that landed off the side of the runway in Kathmandu. Apparently the pilots had trusted the accuracy of the aircraft's GPS based navigation systems enough to continue below the published approach minimum. Of course they were wrong.<br />
<br />
To read about the outcome on Skybrary click <a href="http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/A333,_Kathmandu_Nepal,_2015" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrDxewgsosyReDJ8kRf1sLRo0SrNFLq4vN7asA3mtYQhta5FW1WWr59hGmHvOQPJOvMk2zQNejjbrPeW21eBTdGvZcHtv7hEURLn5Jz8KiUFIfEkBcXzcnNLB1rRj_e7eIMPQkJZA42s/s1600/400px-A333_Nepal_2015_damaged_aircraft.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrrDxewgsosyReDJ8kRf1sLRo0SrNFLq4vN7asA3mtYQhta5FW1WWr59hGmHvOQPJOvMk2zQNejjbrPeW21eBTdGvZcHtv7hEURLn5Jz8KiUFIfEkBcXzcnNLB1rRj_e7eIMPQkJZA42s/s320/400px-A333_Nepal_2015_damaged_aircraft.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-11749901241266906422016-06-20T10:04:00.000+01:002016-06-20T10:05:08.414+01:00THREE LAYERS OF FLIGHT SAFETY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
I have spent a lot of time unpicking aircraft
accidents in the course of my consultancy for IATA’s risk reduction programmes
and as an expert witness in liability cases. Whilst that does risk becoming desensitised
to the frequently unnecessary tragedy of these events, it has given me a keen
insight into what causes pilots to crash their aeroplanes. Perhaps more
importantly I believe it has helped me to distill some key factors which could
have stopped them happening – three in fact, which I will explain below.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b>Prevention</b>
– generally we would all accept that prevention is by far the best means to
avoid accidents, in the air or on the ground. We have countless opportunities
to prevent accidents every day and in flight operations this activity is
formalised into procedures and checklists. If we adhere to these tried and
tested action sequences, the overwhelming majority of flights will be
uneventful. Therefore, straightforward procedural compliance can deliver
accident prevention virtually every time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b>Recognition</b>
– in today’s highly reliable aircraft, operating in a well-controlled environment,
facilitated by real-time weather, traffic and airspace information it is rare
for anything out of the ordinary to penetrate the serene world of the
commercial pilot. But if something unusual does happen it is vital that the
pilots quickly recognise the deviation, picking it out from the backdrop of
countless hours of ‘normal’. This ability to recognise the abnormal must be founded
upon a comprehensive knowledge of what normal should look like; what is the acceptable
range of values for every critical parameter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b>Recovery</b>
– having recognised that things are not going to plan, pilots must be able to
recover to normal, or at least to a new ‘normal’ within the constraints of
whatever has occurred. Then and pretty much only then, do the pilots require
real skill.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
So that’s it; prevention through rigorous compliance,
recognition based on comprehensive knowledge and finally recovery requiring
piloting skill. Most of the current generation of airline pilots will probably
never need more than the first of these (and that’s worth bearing in mind when
hiring and training pilots) but how do we deliver and maintain the knowledge
and how do we hone the skills when they may never be needed in the course of an
entire career?</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8091506768673845583.post-11078196265209425422016-05-24T16:39:00.000+01:002016-05-24T16:39:06.936+01:00NEW TECHNOLOGY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
Many countries are enjoying a remarkable expansion in commercial air traffic as growing
populations, increasing wealth and the loosening of sanctions make air travel more attractive and
accessible. This growth is being fed by an ever increasing supply of the very
latest aircraft, principally from the two big manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing
– aircraft equipped with the most modern systems for navigation, communication
and engine management.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The manufacturers will argue that all this slick
technology will offer operators substantial savings with reduced fuel burn, better
aircraft utilisation and simpler, quicker flight crew transitions onto type.
They might also argue that some of the new systems make the operation safer by
adding layers of defence against mid-air collisions, flight into terrain or
unstable approaches. Both of these arguments are correct but ignore the
fact that in some cases new technology, or more accurately the way that we
humans interact with the technology, has been a factor in the evolution of
undesirable conditions and even accidents.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
To illustrate this point it is worth going back a
few years to the previous generation of jet aircraft. If a system was not
performing as expected it was normal practice for the pilot (or more likely the
flight engineer) to switch it off and back on in an attempt to recover normal
service. Alternatively they might have pulled and reset the relevant circuit
breaker, of which there were multiple panels in the cockpit. However, that is
no longer necessarily the case. In a recent accident one pilot elected to
resolve an intermittent flight control system fault by resetting a circuit
breaker in flight, just as he had previously seen an engineer do on the ground.
Unfortunately, that particular system takes some time to recover after a reset
and in the meantime the flight characteristics of the aircraft changed to the
extent that the other pilot lost control and the flight ended in the sea.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
In another case, one pilot made a simple numerical
error when commencing the take-off performance calculations and used a take-off
weight value precisely 100 tonnes less than the actual take-off weight. Partly
due to the process by which data was transcribed from the paper loadsheet into
a laptop electronic flight bag, and then back from the laptop to a paper flight
log and finally from there into the flight management system, this error was
never identified, even though there were four pilots in the cockpit at the
time. There were probably many other factors at work but the multiple
interactions with technology apparently ‘blinded’ the pilots to a substantial
and rather obvious discrepancy. The aircraft did eventually get airborne but
sustained major damage after scraping its tail along the runway and through the
overrun area before lifting off.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
So why is it that technology designed to improve efficiency
and accuracy can sometimes have the opposite effect? Take-off performance
calculations are far more precise when performed by computer software as opposed
to the old fashioned tables and graphs. Electronic flight control systems
undoubtedly allow for smoother, simpler flying when they are working as
designed. So it is not the technology that is at fault, or indeed the concepts
that support it. Although in the first case described above there was a
technical fault with the flight control system, a cracked electrical solder in
fact, if the pilots had managed the deficiency in accordance with the abnormal
procedures they wouldn’t have fixed the fault but they probably would have
completed the flight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Part of the problem is that we humans have evolved
to chase animals and pick berries and not to operate things with buttons and
levers – not yet anyway. Consequently our behaviours and thought processes are based
on conditions that are no longer very relevant to the environment in which we
work. Unlike just a few years ago, most of a pilot’s job today revolves around
monitoring and managing systems, the actual functionality of which he or she
would probably struggle to understand. It is sufficient in most cases to know
what the input options are and what the outputs can be expected to look like;
what goes on in between is of little operational significance. This is the
fundamental principle behind claims that pilot training has been simplified, (and
that can be interpreted as being quicker and therefore cheaper), by modern
aircraft systems.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
That is true to a great extent but it brings with
it some unwanted baggage. Firstly this lack of understanding of what happens
between control selections and the eventual outcomes can become a liability
when systems do not function correctly or if conditions are encountered that
fall outside the design specification of the system. This was starkly
illustrated in a high altitude stall event a few years ago when the flight
dynamics were so far removed from what was deemed to be ‘normal’, that a
critical stall warning system intermittently suppressed itself, in accordance
with its design. The loss of the warning contributed to the confusion amongst
the pilots, who could not resolve a number of apparently conflicting pieces of
information. If they had fully understood the warning logic they may have had a
better chance. The investigation also determined that the pilots had not received
training in high altitude stalls, presumably on the basis that the systems
would protect them and they would never have to manage such a situation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Secondly, these modern systems are so reliable
that deviations outside of ‘normal’ are incredibly rare. Now that should be
regarded as a good thing of course but as a result, and apart from the
controlled environment of a simulator, pilots might go many years without ever
seeing something significantly ‘abnormal’. This can lead to an over reliance on
the aircraft systems and a reduced ability to recognise any undesirable
deviations before it is too late to recover. Hour after hour of safe and
predictable flight may eventually be interrupted by a sudden and unexpected
flight condition and the industry is beginning to acknowledge the debilitating
influence of the ‘startle’ effect on pilot performance in an emergency.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
This is not a Luddite’s case against modern
technology in aircraft; far from it. Terrain awareness systems alone have
dramatically reduced the number of inadvertent collisions with the ground and
bearing in mind the high fatality rates associated with those accidents, they
have undoubtedly saved hundreds of lives. No, the point is that as this new
technology sweeps through our commercial aircraft fleets, it radically changes
the way that pilots must interact with their aircraft systems, how they think
and how they behave. Manufacturers, regulators and operators must accept that
fact and ensure that the training offered to pilots – initial, recurrent and
upgrade – truly addresses the actual demands of the equipment they are to fly.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Jo Gillespie<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Gates Aviation Limited<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Captain Jo Gillespiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09702738488287511428noreply@blogger.com0