Grounded in Safety... or Safety, Grounded?

摘要

Before we go any further, let's briefly distinguish between the terms "simple" and "easy." First, they're not the same. Can something be simple and easy? Sure - take, for example, waving hello to a dear friend. Is that simple? Yes, it is. And, it's also easy! But what about running a marathon? Is that simple? Of course -just put one foot in front of the other 46,000 times without stopping. Couldn't be simpler. But is it easy? Assuredly, that answer is "no." Can Jefferson's advice on simplicity still be relevant 243 years later, even when applied to Safety Management Systems? The simplest answer is of course, "yes." A few yean ago, I was helping a commercial ground handling organization prepare for an industry SMS audit. When I read aloud from the audit manual, "does the provider have a written procedure for the placement of chocks following an aircraft departure," the ground handling manager's eyes widened, and an expression approaching panic began to form on his face. "Umm, no we don't. I guess we'll need to go ahead and buy some bins for each gate, stencil 'PLACE CHOCKS HERE' on each of them, develop a new Chock Handling Procedure, create some training slides, and then make sure everyone is following the new procedure." He thought I'd be pleased with the comprehensive nature of his new plan of action to comply with this audit requirement.