Safety should be the priority for any organization in the aviation industry (Adjekum & Tous, 2020). Therefore, the issue of safety should be addressed with utmost keenness and caution because the results of a failed safety system could be catastrophic and costly to the organization. For this reason, organizations in the aviation industry have laid down policies and regulations that govern the safety of staff and passengers traveling on these airlines. These rules dictate the behavior of each employee towards safety management and enforce compliance with set rules. In addition, organizations adopt a safety culture that directs employees on how to conduct themselves when dealing with threats to safety and raises their commitment to safety management. Notably, a blend of well-designed safety policies and a well-developed safety culture is the foundation of an effective safety management system.
Safety policy
Safety Policy in aviation is a statement of the approach an organization has taken in ensuring safety by defining all safety objectives as well as the responsibilities and accountabilities of the employees and management in achieving acceptable safety levels (Pidgeon & Leary, 2017). Primarily, safety policies are seen as a fundamental aspect of achieving safety in aviation. The safety policy defines the organizational commitment to achieving safety and the steps taken to ensure the policies are followed across the organization. According to ICAO Safety Management Manual, it is the safety policy that should express how the management team is committed to safety management.
Safety responsibility is based on the principle of safety responsibility that dictates that all staff must follow all the rules governing safety in the organization. In addition, safety planning is an important activity through which the organization sets its safety targets and lays down strategies to be followed in achieving set targets. The safety department drafts the safety policies and communicates them to all employees in the organization. Each employee is expected to behave in accordance with the safety policies of their organization, failure to which they face disciplinary action. Notably, the safety department reports periodically on the progress and achievements in safety management and writes a comprehensive report about it. From the report findings, they review the safety policies and make changes where necessary. These policies enable the organization to keep bettering its safety and building a good reputation for itself.
Safety culture
Safety culture in aviation refers to practices and norms of the organization that manage and reduce the risk of accidents and other safety threats. Precisely, safety culture is defined by how people in the organization conduct themselves and their commitment to achieving safety (Adjekum & Tous, 2020). Developing an effective safety culture within an organization is a continuous process that requires the effort of everyone to identify hazards that could compromise safety and implement solutions early in advance. It also involves creating awareness through training on safety practices and the role each person should play in ensuring safety in operations. Furthermore, maintaining a positive safety culture calls for proper reporting on safety issues from all levels of the organization to aid in safety management and planning.
A safety culture of an organization is a reflection of the beliefs, values, and attitudes that individuals in an organization hold regarding safety. It is the safety culture that sets the tone for how safety management is practiced, managed, and monitored. Notably, developing an extensive and effective safety culture is significant in aviation because of the risky nature of operations in the industry. Therefore, there is a need to develop a positive safety culture across organizations in the aviation industry to identify and prepare for risks whose results could be catastrophic if not addressed early. The only way the management can achieve this is by ensuring everyone becomes committed to identifying, reporting, and addressing safety concerns as soon as they arise.
Relationship between safety policies and Culture
Both safety policies and safety vulture are important aspects of safety management in aviation as they complement each other to ensure safety is achieved. However, the two are different in how each is implemented and developed in the organization. Notably, safety policies are formalized rules and procedures laid down to guide safe operations in aviation, while a safety culture consists of all the safety-related attitudes and behaviors that are developed collectively among all members of the organization. It is the safety policies that lay a basis for safety management in aviation. This is achieved by defining all the roles, duties, and responsibilities of employees in the risk management process. Through these policies, the risk is identified, accessed, and effective mitigation measures are taken.
However, the success of safety policies depends mainly on the existence of a good safety culture in the organization. Safety policies alone cannot be much effective in achieving exemplary safety performance but require complimenting with a positive safety culture. Unlike the safety policies, the safety culture requires a voluntary commitment to improving safety through open communication and reporting. It develops a sense of accountability among all employees towards risk reduction, making them more committed to safety management in their daily activities. Through the development of a positive safety culture, employees are motivated to be at the forefront in reporting safety concerns in the course of their duties and even suggest possible solutions to safety threats.
Role of Accountable Executive in Safety Management
The Accountable Executive so critical in implementing effective safety management systems in the aviation industry. Primarily, he is in charge of making sure that safety measures are followed, and safety regulations are adhered to. He does this by establishing a solid safety policy and setting the organization’s objectives regarding safety management. Notably, the policies should be in agreement with the long-term goals of the organization (Pidgeon & Leary, 2017). Additionally, he follows up to ensure the policies and objectives are well communicated to all employees. Another role he performs is to monitor how effective the safety system is. To achieve this, all hazards are identified, and controls are implemented to mitigate threats. Throughout the process, the Accountable Executive ensures accurate data is recorded at every step, and safety is monitored frequently. The data collected is used later to establish trends in risks and ways to improve safety in the future.
Another role of the Accountable Executive is making sure that all the safety regulations are complied with and followed to the letter. Notably, the internal regulatory policies should align with the general standards set by regulators in aviation, such as FAA in the U.S. (Turner, 2019). Besides, he must ensure that internal safety policies are updated to align with changes that happen over time to avoid obsolescence. In addition, it is the role of the Accountable Executive to allocate resources needed to design and implement an effective safety management system, such as training costs. Ultimately, after implementing and monitoring the safety system, it is the role of the Accountable Executive to review the effectiveness of the systems and make adjustments where necessary.
The foundation of an effective safety management system is indeed the establishment of sound safety policies and cultures. Notably, the first step in ensuring safety is altering employee behavior to make them act in accordance with the set safety regulations. However, safety culture is instrumental in influencing employee behavior toward safety. The Accountable Executive should therefore strive to implement policies and cultures that promote safety in organizations in the aviation industry.
References
Adjekum, D. K., & Tous, M. F. (2020). Assessing the relationship between organizational management factors and a resilient safety culture in a collegiate aviation program with Safety Management Systems (SMS). Safety science, 131, 104909.
Ellis, K. K., Krois, P., Koelling, J., Prinzel, L. J., Davies, M., & Mah, R. (2021). A Concept of Operations (ConOps) of an in-time aviation safety management system (IASMS) for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). In AIAA Scitech 2021 Forum (p. 1978).
Pidgeon, N., & O’Leary, M. (2017). Organizational safety culture: Implications for aviation practice. In Aviation psychology in practice (pp. 21-43). Routledge.
Turner, B. A. (2019). The development of a safety culture. In Risk Management (pp. 397-399). Routledge.
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