Mum's The Word?

March 20, 2014
Safety programs won’t improve anything if accidents aren’t reported.

This issue’s cover story mentions a safety organization in the United Kingdom known by a rather supernatural acronym, GHOST.

Not that there’s anything too mysterious with the stated objective of the Ground Handling Operations Safety Team. A voluntary partnership, originally established by the Civil Aviation Authority, the team of about 50 members representing a cross-section of ground service providers, airport managers and regulators hopes to identify the risks associated with ground handling operations. The ultimate goal is to reduce incidents with the greatest risk to flight safety.

But the organization’s recent work did uncover what surely strikes terror in our hearts: We don’t like to admit our mistakes anymore than we like to rat on others for their mistakes.

LOW INCIDENT REPORTING

As Annie Gilbert from the CAA wrote last October in Airport Focus, one thing to emerge from the work of GHOST was the low incident reporting rates by air-side workers. And this despite being legally obligated to do so for the past seven years and backed up by confidentiality clauses in the law to protect the identity of any individual reporting an accident.

“… reporting levels amongst personnel on the ramp remained much lower than for airline personnel,” Gilbert wrote. “GHOST highlighted a culture amongst ground handling that tended to apportion blame and discouraged open reporting of incidents. This was an issue that was well known and well documented within safety investigations, and appeared to be accepted practice, not just in the UK but worldwide.”

GDDB

Reading Gilbert’s sentiment brought us back to a packed room in a Vancouver hotel room as IATA staff and members discussed recent updates to the association’s Ground Damage Database program during last year’s IGHC.

Most the debate centered on who might be “blamed” for the confidential reports members of the GDDB would receive. Even the areas of damage to report seemed suspect to many in the room since such accidents could be blamed on the ground service provider.

IATA’s GDDB was just getting up and running last year, but in the UK the CAA’s database has more 30 years behind and contains details of hundreds of thousands of incidents, from minor technical and mechanical failures to fatal accidents, Gilbert added.

“Around 10,000 new incidents are logged every year,” she wrote. “The information that can be extracted from the database proves invaluable in plotting risks and trends, allowing operators to take action before a serious incident occurs. It is vital that ground handling crew, engineers, baggage handlers, dispatchers and drivers understand that the sole objective of the reporting of safety events is to prevent further accidents and incidents through the improved collection and sharing of safety information. It is not to attribute blame or liability.”

To encourage ground service providers to report safety events, GHOST has developed a “Just Culture” program to promote an open exchange of reporting. In addition, GHOST signed up with Air Safety Central, a web-based safety culture tool that allows members to post, review and discuss safety –related data. GHOST plans to publish other safety guidelines to assist ground service providers to implement a Just Culture.

And to bring it full circle, at least for those like us who attended the 2013 IGHC, this year’s IGHC features a discussion on “Just Culture – From Concept To Reality.” The panel discussion will include Andy Fletcher, ground safety manager for Flybe, current chairman of GHOST.

An impartial, confidential reporting process is essential if any safety program is to be successful.

“Risks can only be identified and managed if knowledge is shared,”  Gilbert wrote. “This sharing and reporting culture must pervade an organization. Every member of staff, from the boardroom to the ramp must buy-in to this culture. Open reporting, ultimately, helps all parties involved in the aircraft turn-around process appreciate and understand where the risks are within the air-side environment.”