Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) www.sassofia.com takes a dive into the different types of Operational Violations.
Note – We are not considering the act of sabotage which is a whole different subject as in general a violator is NOT expecting a “bad” (negative) outcome.
Introduction – What is a Violation?
To do or not to do? A Violation is either an intentional action or inaction (deliberate lack of required action) that results in non-compliance with the following:
- Known rules,
- Policies,
- Procedures, or
- Acceptable norms (Normal & Expected Behaviour).
Primary Reasons to Violate include:
- We can! – provides for an easier outcome (path of least resistance),
- There is no repercussion for Violating,
- The Organisation wants the outcome (Job done at any cost!).
Classification
Violations are typically classified within Human Factors as a deliberate act, which means committing a violation is a conscious decision.
Typically, the person committing the violation did not intend the dramatic negative consequences, but rather believed the situation was under control despite the violation.
Question Should such a violation be punished?
Is Lack of Knowledge a Precursor to a Violation?
If someone is unaware of a procedure violates by omission then this is not, in essence, a deliberate act rather the root cause will be found in competence training and organizational procedures.
How Frequently Do We Violate?
The simple answer is more often than we should, and violations which are ignored or condoned breed new violations.
The vast majority of violations impact day-to-day operations where ultimately there are no negative consequences.
Unfortunately, the Risk associated with Violations is often not correctly addressed often because such violations remain unreported, additionally when such a violation does result in a particular identified outcome the possibility of further additional risk is also not factored in.
This reality of continuing violations which remain unreported serves to limit the organizations’ ability to positively address the exposure.
Types of Violation
Unintentional Violations arise from procedures that are:
- Confusing,
- Complex,
- Ambiguous.
Routine Violations result from automatic and sometimes unconscious behaviour.
- Routine violations often occur at the skill-based level, where they have become part of an automated routine.
Situational Violations are the result of organizational and environmental factors that make it difficult for employees not to commit violations:
- Time pressure,
- Lack of supervision,
- Poor ambient conditions (e.g. light, noise, heat),
- Insufficient resources,
- Negative culture.
Note – Situational violations tend to occur at the rule-based level, where people take actions deemed necessary to get the job done.
Optimising Violations occur when people try to make a task more exciting or interesting (typically related to long periods of monotonous work).
Exceptional Violations are rare occurrences, typically the result of a conscious decision to violate.
- Typically occur at the knowledge-based level (Mostly occurring in unique and unfamiliar circumstances).
Managing Violations
The organisation should strive to identify violations and address the root cause at an organizational level.
All identified elements and aspects should lead to modification of procedures, processes, training, or management systems as appropriate.
Next Steps
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Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) provides Safety Management System Consultancy, Classroom, Webinar, and Online Training including a 3-day SMS Safety Risk Management course.
For additional details visit our websites www.sassofia.com and www.sofemaonline.com or email team@sassofia.com
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aviation, aviation human factors, Aviation SMS, Human Factors, Operational Violations, Risk, Safety Management Systems (SMS), sasblogs, Violations
