Occupational Safety Of Public Transport - Essay Example

Occupational Safety Of Public Transport Module 1 Discussion 1)No. Although public transportation generally refers to services that can be used by the general public, there are many differences in the concept public transportation. For one, although they all charge fares, the level of subsidy by a local, or national government can vary depending on the revenue. Also, public transports have different types. We have buses, ferries, subways, trolleys, and many other modes of transporting the public. Each of this public transport is accountable to a government agency such as State Public Utility Commission. However, the airlines industry is different from the rest of public transportation. For one, an agency known as Federal Aviation Agency ( FAA) was created under the Department of Transportation to oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S. Airlines is particularly different since it transports 1)people across international boundaries which has legal implications 2) more risky than land-based or sea-based 3) can also compromise national security as in the case of 9/11. Because of this reasons, airlines are highly regulated to the point that FAA can impose heavy fines on those who violate its law or policies. The FAA website which contains current rules imply that FAA has a wide scope in this transport industry since it does not only issue or revoke license, but it can file a civil case against violators. At the same time, FAA heavily regulates the airline industry by monitoring current practices of airline operators. 2)ASRS Database Query The search started with Event Assessment. Under these search, I clicked on Human Factors. The Human Factors searched produced 12 items that can be added, such as : Communication Breakdown, Confusion, Distraction, Fatigue, Physiological, Time Pressure and many other values related to Human Factors. I chose Fatigue which returned 110 ACNs. The 10 most recent reports about Fatigue showed that error occurs with high probability as pilots and co-pilots experience fatigue( ACN85148). Fatigue was usually a result of flying on a continuous duty overnight after successive days of flight duty. Although there were other contributory factors such as poor visual, weather conditions, or miscommunication with the controller, fatigue complicates the situation since the pilot is under pressure to make decisions. In conclusion, fatigue is an important human factor that should be considered by the airline industry since it interferes with making sound decisions that is critical to flight safety. Module 2 Discussion (3) According to the The National Transportation Safety Board, the main purpose of accident investigation is to make a report “as accurately and expeditiously as possible what caused the accident so that the necessary steps can be taken to guard against a similar occurrence” ( April 25,1980). I believe it is still NTSB’s duty to make an investigation since it is an independent body and would not be subject to influence or pressure from other government agency such as FAA. (4) I think the party system is effective since it only considers parties with expertise in their respective fields. According to the Investigative Process ( NTSB): Only those organizations or corporations that can provide expertise to the investigation are granted party status and only those persons who can provide the Board with needed technical or specialized expertise are permitted to serve on the investigation; persons in legal or litigation positions are not allowed to be assigned to the investigation. All party members report to the NTSB. (http://www.ntsb.gov/abt_ntsb/invest.htm) Division of labor bring specialization. Also, different groups can come up with more analytical observation from different perspectives. At least, the party system insures that each sector is represented and the incident is viewed as a whole. (5) Data Collection for Safety:  What non-safety data can be collected that may have indicators for safety?  Are the data readily available?  What is the linkage of these data to safety? Some non-safety data such as Inspection data can be collected depending upon the collaboration between FAA and the carrier. Having inspection data is a proactive move to prevent accidents rather than incident data which is produced as a consequence of an accident. Although these data don’t seem critical, it can used in accident investigation using Reason’s Model. These non-safety data can be helpful in identifying latent failures. Critical Thinking Article The article chosen was from aviationsafetymagazine.com. The title of the article is “Why Can’t We Land?”, published in 2002. The article was written with the main objective of informing a layman reader about problems encountered by pilots during landing. At the beginning of the article, data related to landing accidents were quoted from various sources to establish the fact that landing accidents are common yet not fatal. Later in the article, human factor is attributed to be the cause of landing error. It can either be through a pilot’s judgment error or shortage of skill according to the writer. However, the writer emphasizes that shortage of skill is the culprit since he argues that pilots do not practice landing anymore once they have acquired their certificate. Then, the discussion shifts to more technical matters such as directional control, speed control, and configuration/weight as challenges to a pilot’s landing skill. The author seems to have flying experience since he can easily explain the landing process in detail. He seemed to have encountered touchdown problems too that taught him. The agenda is to mainly inform the reader and at the same time, get them subscribe to the online magazine. Nevertheless, I found the article entertaining, educational and helpful even for people who are not so familiar with aviation. Module 3 Discussion (5) Reason’s Model: What does Reason’s model tell you about running an accident prevention program? Reason’s model is also known as the “Swiss Cheese” model .It is compared to a Swiss cheese since there are holes inside the cheese ( which are actually small acts of human failure) that contributes to the making of an accident. In Reason’s model, a more thorough analysis of an accident is given since it puts emphasis on latent failures. The implication of this model to running an accident prevention program is that planners must be able to anticipate possible lapses that can contribute to accidents. Reason’s model does not only look at the end of accidents such as active failures but it uncovers even aspects of organizational influences. To be more specific, Reason’s model gives a complete overview of not only the accident itself but the everyday operations that may have contributed to the accident. Because of this, management practices of airline operators must be also considered in running an accident prevention program. (6) Natural Market Forces: a. One natural market force that airline executives must consider is globalization. The onset of globalization meant stiffer competition through lowered rates. Airline companies have merged and acquired smaller companies. Because of this, airline executives must consider safety as a value-added benefit of their carrier along with competitive airfare. b.  The first step would be to establish the fact that safety issue is not just about accidents, it is also about prevention. Accidents are few but they cost the company a lot of money in terms of insurance payment as well as bad publicity. In a study made by Mitchell and Maloney( 1989) it was revealed that “found that share price falls can be attributed both to the projected future costs of higher insurance and to a brand name effect associated at-fault attribution “ ( qtd from. Burton,1997 ).Bad publicity is bad marketing and people lose trust in a certain carrier that is involved with frequent accidents. If management wants to avoid costs, then it must pay attention to its safety programs. c.  The best possible way to change the management’s view about safety is to make a presentation that would justify safety as a way to minimize future costs. I would ask a group of industry specialists on safety to present to the management the benefits of safety to our company and relate it to financial matters. (7) Activity 1.6 - Safety Quiz Revisited a.   What is safety? I agree with the answer to this question. b. Then, what is aviation safety? Reaction: If we look closely at Reason’s model, aviation safety is not only about people who are actively involved or participating in the event such as pilot, crew member or mechanic. Aviation safety is prevention or preventing accidents in a day to day operation. This may also involve clerks who commit small errors such as wrong reports or feeds that would affect over-all safety. Safety in aviation is not only commission but more on omission. Negligence or a simple oversight can lead to fatal results. c. What areas (fields or disciplines) does aviation safety cover? One area that should be completely integrated into aviation safety is education. Training is crucial to ensuring that human faults would be minimized by improving accuracy. d. Do you think aviation safety management is different from general/ industrial safety management? While it is true that safety management may be universal, it still adjusts to the demands of the industry where it is being practiced. Aviation safety is not really easy since despite the numerous regulations, policies, guidelines, procedures there is still probability of accidents. The obvious reason: people who are not motivated do not perform well ( pay is a common issue in aviation industry). In a system, it is always people’s behavior that would be hardest to control. Not because people in aviation are stubborn, but because they undergo a high level of pressure in performing their jobs. e. Do you think aviation safety management is different from any other management job? There is a slight difference in terms of emphasis. Safety management is not just doing things, it is also making sure that things are done properly in the highest degree since consequences are grave. Also, management is concerned mainly with productivity while safety management is more on quality. An OSHA Standard The PART 1926 provides the rules on construction safety and health provisions that require the manpower of certain industry to perform their work effectively in a surrounding which is unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous. I believe that this standard would be suitable and very important for aviation because of a specific coverage of work with regards to safety and health standard is concerned. Like for example the safety of handling high risk, fire protections and concerns that mainly focus on transportation. Module 4 Discussion (8) Executing Safety:  1 -  Is the dispersed or centralized execution of a safety program better?  Why? The dispersed execution of a safety program is better because this makes for more people to be aware of their own safety. It is tantamount to delegating the responsibility to everyone who should be just as equally responsible not only for personal safety, but more so for everybody else’s. The dispersed execution of a safety program encourages that each one look out for the other, which is ideal especially in an environment where accountability is vital. Working together for the common good is best achieved when more people get involved. 2 -  Are unified or separate safety programs more effective?  Why? “Separate programs” is better because it connotes that people’s specializations are exploited to the best advantage, having different parts of a company attend to different area of concerns. Mobilizing a number of highly-skilled individuals to work on tasks best-suited to their skills encourage optimum performance and yield excellent results. 3 - Should a safety program be based on risk acceptance or risk avoidance?  Why? Safety programs should be based on risk acceptance. Life is full of risks. As the cliché goes, “We learn from our mistakes.” Knowledge is not gained from the right things we do. It is from the wrongs we make that we realize how to do it better. Risks should be welcomed as challenges that push us to our limits—physically or mentally. It is from these risks that we accept that we learn about what lies in the unknown. (9) How Effective is OSHA? :  I believe OSHA has been effective in meeting its mission. My support to this argument is the fact that OSHA has been very aggressive in imposing fines to companies that violate safety policies which resulted to injury or even death of its worker/s. A good documentation would be the news release in the OSHA website that reports all cases of work-related injuries that has been met with sanctions. Records speak for themselves and OSHA’s statistics reveal that it has done its job. (10) OSHA in Aviation:  Why would I want to worry about OSHA in an aviation safety program? Aviation safety program is unique and that is why it is regulated and monitored by FAA. However, OSHA has been active in aviation especially after the 9/11 attacks which prompted flight attendants to support OSHA. If I were someone involved in the aviation industry, I would not find any cause for worry as far as OSHA standards are concerned. The standards are extensive in its scope. Details have been attended to carefully that all aspects of safety have been included in its guidelines for safety programs. Module 5 Discussion (11)  National Environmental Policy Act:  Is the NEPA process too lengthy for airport expansions?  Does this have an effect on safety?  Why or why not? Environmental protection, no thanks to global warming, has become a major issue in any undertaking; be it a beach clean-up drive, or mall construction. Definitely airports should not be an exception. If the process is deemed lengthy, but in the interest of protecting the environment from further damage, then it should be strictly observed. NEPA has minimal effect on aviation safety. It delves more deeply on environmental concerns rather than implementation of safety standards. (12)  Safety in the Public Interest:  Section 601(b) of the FA Act specifies, in part, that when issuing certificates, the FAA shall give full consideration "to the duty resting upon air carriers to perform their services with the highest possible degree of safety in the public interest . . ."  I agree with the idea that they do get favorable treatment from the government. It seems to be conflicting since a profit oriented airline company is serving the public interest. There is no public interest from a private company after all. It would only be a public interest if the company is a national carrier. Unfortunately, the government is blind to this aspect so it is then the duty of citizens to be vigilant about these issues. Popular participation from citizens such as lobbying in Congress as well as writing the government should put pressure to the government to be more tight in its monitoring and control of private airline companies. It is not evil to make profit out of rendering service, that is free trade. However, profit is not the only requirement in business as Henry Ford said. There must be an equivalent amount of service that must given to the public when they pay for the services of the airline. Make a Report Directions: Read Workplace Safety at http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/human-factors-in-aviation-maintenance/guide/chapter3. The issue I selected is Administration/Organization. Two examples would be Overtime and Incentive. In the case of overtime, the solid example for this case are the reports I have read from the ASRD Database regarding fatigue as culprit for pilot error. Pilots and co-pilots often commit landing errors when they feel fatigue. This fatigue is caused by successive days of flight duty which impairs decision-making. As for the issue of incentives, flight attendants have been clamoring for better incentives since the 9/11 incident. For one, they argue that their job is three times riskier than ordinary workers. Also, an issue about cabin air pressure having negative health effects on their bodies prompted OSHA to intervene in the airline industry. The issue of incentives clearly show that money alone does not motivate flight attendants but a good working environment. Module 6 Discussion (13)  Risk Management:   a.  What are the components of risk? Actually, there are four components, namely: risk assessment, risk response, control activities, information and communication, and monitoring. Most risk management programs contain these components. b.  How can we use risk operationally? We can use risk operationally by avoiding risk or reducing risk. Example of that would be suspending flights when the weather is bad so risk of accidents would be reduced. c.  How can we use risk in safety management?  We can use risk in safety management by” integrating it as a part of the organizational process “ which is one principle espoused by ISO31000. Therefore, risk must be considered in all aspects of a safety management system. (14)  Accountability Issues a. Do the airlines, and therefore all airline employees, have a social responsibility owed to the traveling public?  If so, what responsibilities? Yes they do. Recently, corporations have acknowledged their social responsibility not only to the community but also to the environment as well. Airline companies, including their employees are involved in rendering social responsibility. Example of which is Frontier Airlines in Denver which won the Martin Luther King , Jr. Business Social Responsibility Award in 2008. Social responsibility could mean giving back to the community by making it a better place. b. I believe so. However, a professional pilot has gained thousands of flying hours which has given him experience thereby earning his respect as a professional. In contrast with a new pilot, there is a lot of learning to do in terms of skills and maturity. Both are accountable, but the commercial pilot who transports almost 500 lives in one flight is more accountable. This is not in terms of security, but being ethical in behavior since he is exposed to more people in his daily line of work. I can’t say that the system is backward , rather, policy makers should asses and plan ways to make a pilot accountable for his behavior as a professional. Applied Aviation Safety Directions (Homework Assignment 12):  You are over half way through this class.  You now know just enough about aviation safety to be dangerous.  This assignment is a real-life task in three parts. The problem I identified is that of people or staff working overtime since it’s a holiday season. This is a safety problem since people would get stressed out from work thereby reducing their efficiency. Air Traffic Control employees need to work in top shape since their tasks involved tedious decision making and keen observation. Now that the airway traffic is getting heavy due to numerous flights, the pressure would set in. The hazard would be fatigue which can make tempers rise and employees can be irritable. Miscommunication can happen between pilots, controllers and other employees. The most feasible solution would be to advise employees to have a good break in between duties. The management could carefully plan the shifting so that no one would overextend to the point of fatigue. The people must adjust to the current workload but the management could ease the pressure. Also, the management could improve the employees lounge by decorating it and putting comfortable furniture that encourage rest. Module 7 Discussion (15) Errors of Omission and Commission:  There are errors of omission and errors of commission.  What are the differences between the two?  An error of commission involves action since an act is committed thereby resulting to an error. An error of commission in aviation is deciding to take a course of action such as landing on the runway despite successive warning or advice. On the other hand, error of omission happens when an action is not taken such as the case of not doing routine inspection which can lead to mechanical breakdown or failure. Error of omission may be harder to deal with since there must be a root cause analysis of how some procedure was overlooked or neglected which may have caused a breakdown or failure. In the aviation industry, the error of commission is most frequent. (16) Yes, I agree that management is in command responsibility and that OSHA should hold management responsible. However, OSHA must clearly write down the policies so that enforcement would be more effective. There are many legal loopholes and airline companies have the best lawyers to get away with their misdeeds. References: ACN 85148.ASRS. Aviation Safety Response System. Retrieved from http:// akama.arc.nasa.gov/ ASRSDBOnline/QueryWizard_Display .aspx?server =ASRSO on 11 Dec. 2009. Button, K. (1997) Interactions of Global Competition, Airline Strategic Alliances and Air Traffic Safety. Working Paper Series No.2 Aviation Policy Program. March 1997. Retrieved on 12 Dec 2009 from http://www.gmu.edu/departments/t-app/paper/app-wp2.htm. "Committee Draft of ISO 31000 Risk management" (PDF). International Organization for Standardization. Retrieved from http://www.nsai.ie/ uploads/ file/N047_Committee_Draft_of_ISO_31000.pdf. on 12 Dec 2009. National Safety Transportation Board. Investigative Process. Retrieved from http://www.ntsb.gov/abt_ntsb/invest.htm on 10 Dec 2009. National Safety Transportation Board. Pupose of Accident Investigation. April 25 1980. OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Association. http://www.osha.gov/. Why Can’t We Land? Aviation Safety Magazine. Retrieved on 3 Dec 2009 from http://www.aviationsafetymagazine.com /airplane/landing-accidents-and-runway.html Workplace Safety Retrieved from http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/human-factors-in-aviation-maintenance/guide/chapter3.pdf on Dec 10 2009. Read More