Health and Safety Management Systems (SMS) for Airport Operators: Airport Focused (SMS) Basics of Safety Series Part 3

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Written by Jason L. Hamlett AMT, CM, ACE, GSP 5/10/2022

Safety Responsibility

Greetings faithful readers and new comers!! We are more than half-way thru the Basics of Safety Series for Health and Safety Management Systems for Airports. In this week’s post I will debunk some of the common phrases used in managing workplace safety at airports. Safety is a word that is frequently used but often misinterpreted. The word safety gets attached to buzz slogans and marketing campaigns that miss represents the true nature, and intent of the word. These quotes also misrepresent how achieving a safe work environment in practical application is accomplished. I am confident at some point in your career you may have heard these quotes at your airport: “Think Safety, Its Everyone’s Job” and my personal favorite “Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility." These two quotes are toxic to any organization’s safety efforts. I say this because worker safety is ultimately the responsibility of top leadership to organize, communicate, train, and enforce. In an airport, the accountable executive of SMS is usually championed by the chief executive officer (CEO), chief operations officer (COO), or chief financial officer (CFO). This role is titled the accountable executive because they are ultimately responsible for safety on the airport campus. The SMS manager is a qualified health and safety professionals, who has been formally educated, have practical work experience, knowledge of regulatory requirements, and seasoned in best safety practices. This role advises the accountable executive on all matters related to safety planning and decision making by presenting collected data and measuring safety performance. It is my opinion that these quotes, and the endless list of others like them, give top management a free pass. Quotes and slogans like these put the burden of safety responsibility solely on workers who have no authority within the organization’s safety decision making process, planning, or funding. Vice presidents, directors, middle level managers, supervisors, and workers should be encouraged to work safely, and participate in organizational safety efforts, however, safety is not their job, or responsibility. Without the adoption of a SMS the front-line employee’s involvement in safety decision making is nonexistent or limited to toolbox talks, safety committee, or collective bargaining meeting participation. Airports cannot achieve safety if they operate from a reactive traditional approach to safety where the lines of communication and authority are rigid. For example, an airport maintenance worker’s (AMW) position at most organizations are usually collectively bargained hourly paid positions on a set schedule. Their work responsibilities are predetermined grounds task such as snow removal, grass cutting, and tree trimming. Each task has a certain level of risk depending on the environment and hazard variables. Obviously, it is in the workers best interest to protect personal safety by adhering to training, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), and not cutting corners. As an airport safety manager, I know for a fact that airport maintenance workers job tasks are burdened with time restraints that are natural to the airport environment. This equates to task that are performed on airport surfaces that must be finished as soon as possible. To close and open airport operations area (AOA) surfaces for maintenance repair, there is an extensive level of timing, coordination and communication with the FAA tower controllers and tenant airlines. If the surfaces are returned late, there could be negative effects to the airport traffic system. This puts great pressure aspect on the employee and middle managers to finish a work request within the given timeframe (like daily 1 hour scheduled runway and taxiway closures). There could also be a hidden incentive to complete a task as soon as possible for extra break or down time. Not to mention the pressure form front -line management to get as many work orders completed in a short amount of time. AMW’s are hired to maintain the airfield, not manage safety. As mentioned above workers like these play an active role in the safety program but the burden of responsibility does not fall on their shoulders. For these reasons, safety cannot be everyone’s responsibility or job. To increase safety to its highest level, safety must be integrated into all aspects of the work planning, training, communication, policies, and procedures. Saying that safety is everyone’s responsibility is the same as saying that safety is no one’s responsibility. Leaders must lead and role players must follow that lead. To encourage workers and mid-level managers to participate in SMS, top management must be 100% above reproach regarding safety. The C-suite team must lead by example regarding safety. How is this accomplished you may be wondering. Leading by example involves attending safety committee meetings, participating in risk assessments, planned inspections like foreign object debris (FOD) walks, and most importantly never committing an unsafe act or ignoring an obvious hazard. I would even go further to say that executives should plan time in their schedules to visit work sites on the airport. Often the individuals who plan safety and budget for safety have an of centered viewpoint of how the work is performed in the field. Being visible to the workers also gives the executive team the opportunity to be seen wearing their protective vest, hard hats, ear plugs and safety glasses. Could you imagine the resounding effect of the CEO making a surprise visit to a patch job on taxiway A in full PPE shaking hands and handing the workers a shovel or tool. Workers are smart and can very easily identify a disingenuous effort. One mistake can cost your airport years in trust and participation. I implore all leaders to take charge of safety and lead by example, your workers will follow I promise.