Sofema Aviation Services is currently offering EASA Compliant Advanced Quality Auditing Recurrent during July in Sofia Bulgaria please see www.sassofia.com
for details or email office@sassofia.com
Introduction
Sofema Aviation Services considers examples of the Risk Areas where we may see exposure during audits
Types of Error Encountered:
1) Active Errors – Can occur due to not doing something correctly, as required by procedure or policies (even when the intent is to act in accordance with policy)
or procedure. Examples include:
a) Pilot error
b) Pre-flight risk assessment not adequate
c) The inexperience of ground crew (Competence)
d) Loss of situational awareness, confusion
2) Latent Conditions – A pre-existing (unknown) failure of programs/procedures which creates conditions that lead directly to failure. Can Sometimes lead to “workarounds” or “shortcuts” that can create unsafe environments, and which may lead to active errors. Examples Include:
a) Incorrect policy or procedure
b) Lack of oversight
c) complacency
d) Norms which are typically uncorrected violations
3/ Hardware Failure – Maybe any system failure connected to a “Hardware Element” which impacts normal flight operations, such as material or avionics failure. Examples Include:
a) Aircraft or equipment failure not related to maintenance
b) Maintenance failure leading to system failure
Asking Why? – Related to the Findings
Understanding the “why” typically becomes the first step in
a) Addressing the issue
b) Ensuring that the Root Cause is addressed &
c) Looking for opportunities to deliver an organisational improvement
Reasons for the non-conformity (deviation) include – Unauthorized Actions, Illegal or regulatory non-compliant behaviours, incorrect, or inappropriate and shortfalls or breakdowns in routine operational processes.
Consider that the first line of defence for an effective manager is to actually manage the risks which means to take steps to reduce the probability that the potential deviation may actually materialize.
Essentially this requires the delivery of a Quality Control (QC) oversight process, to ensure we deliver strong & effective organisational processes (which are not only efficient and effective) which serve to manage competence, training, process & procedures to minimise exposures.
*Note: It is possible that rather than mitigating any risks, management serves to incubate the risk through acceptance or normalization where we develop a tolerance of minor failures and defects effectively missing the opportunity to act early.
The Leadership Challenge
One way of looking at a finding is to accept that the “manager” has taken his or her eye “off the ball” otherwise why the finding?
The business owner may also be challenged whilst addressing the findings to find that required actions are outside the normal activities of “managing business in the way the manager wishes too”.
Such focus on dealing with issues and exposures also focuses on the negative rather than potential opportunities and successes. Moreover, the act of mitigating exposures and findings typically involves utilising resources and even funding outside of the immediate focus of the business manager.
For this reason, it is essential for the Quality Assurance System is positioned to ensure that the actions taken fully address the exposures by understanding and mitigating both the contributing and root causes.
Avoiding Confirmation Bias & Groupthink
Groupthink: Once a course of action has gathered support within a group, those not yet on board tend to suppress their objections—however valid—and fall in line.
Groupthink is especially likely if the team is led by an overbearing or overconfident manager who wants to minimize conflict, delay, and challenges to his or her authority.
Confirmation bias, which drives us to favour information that supports our positions (typically successes) and suppress information that contradicts them (typically failures).
When events depart from our expectations, we tend to escalate commitment, irrationally directing even more resources to our failed course of action—throwing good money after bad.
For Details of Sofema Aviation Services and Sofema Online Training Courses please contact us now!
Sofema Aviation Services www.sassofia.com and SofemaOnline www.sofemaonline.com provide regulatory and vocational training as well as consulting for both regulatory authorities and industry.
Please email office@sassofia.com or online@sassofia.com
