Developing a safety culture measurement instrument for European Air Traffic Control
Kathryn Mearns, Barry Kirwan, Jeanette Winter, Tom Reader &
Rachael Gordon
Background
• ATC is a very ‘safe’ industry but is undergoing major changes to accommodate increasing air traffic volume– ATC now required to implement SMS– Successful SMS depends on a positive safety
culture (Kirwan, 1998)• SMS embodies espoused values regarding
management and mitigation of risk• Safety Culture is the enactment of those values
What is Safety Culture?• Complex & multi-faceted construct
• Embodies attitudes, beliefs, values, competencies, patterns of behaviour regarding risk and efficacy of safety measures
• Is it possible to develop a culture free instrument for ATCCs from across Europe (North, South, East & West)?
Development Stages
Understanding Safety Culture
Understanding Safety Culture
Developing a Safety Culture
Measurement Tool
Developing a Safety Culture
Measurement Tool
2005: Literature Review, interviews, validation check & Survey of 4 ANSPs2006: Tool Development & Safety Managers Workshops
Safety CultureEnhancement
Safety CultureEnhancement
2009 - 2012: 30+ ANSPs to be surveyed
2007 - 2008: Tool Deployed at 8 ANSPs, CFA applied to data
Main Themes Identified
SAFETY CULTURE
Commitment
Involvement
Responsibility
Communications& Trust
Learning &Reporting
Teaming
Model to be tested
How we are involved
in safety
How we learn
1.001.00.64.89
.86
.90
.841.00
.99
.98
.95
.96
How we prioritise
safety
Involvement
Teaming
Trust
Reporting& Learning
Communication
Responsibility
Commitment
.921.00.85.86
.92
.94
.12
.77
.861.001.001.00
.96
.98
.91
.95
.98
.85
.97
.97
1.00.99.99.93
.88 / .97 / .92 / .93
.37
.34
.57
.35
.36
.31
.27
.24
V39
V4V5V20V31
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V8V21V46V48V54e
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V44V58V1V17V53e
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V2V6V34V40V43e
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V9V27V29V49e
eee
V24V26V28e
ee
V35V42V57e
ee
V3V15V30e
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V33V41V52e
ee
.56 / .52 / .62 / .30
.67 / .11 / .82 / .59
.47 / .35 / .46 / .20
.46 / .55 / .18 / .41
.49 / .40 / .13 / .31
.71 / .69 / .22 / .66
.50 / .24 / .38 / .15
.48 / .57 / .48 / .02
.68 / .66 / .44 / .70
.40 / .05 / .98 / .02
.44 / .42 / .42 / .25
.44 / .58 / .47 / .09
.57 / .63 / .60 / .47
.48 / .48 / .37 / .59
.58 / .60 / .21 / .49
.45 / .61 / .55 / .40
.64 / .63 / .73 / .64
.63 / .55 / .62 / .60
.71 / .64 / .63 / .38
.49 / .58 / .52 / .19
.74 / .60 / .62 / .65
.47 / .40 / .38 / .44
.19 / .21 / .44 / .16
.57 / .51 / .58 / .18
.60 / .50 / .57 / .54
.70 / .64 / .51 / .71
.70 / .27 / .72 / .70
.59 / .48 / .55 / .55
.57 / .63 / .22 / .67
.59 / .54 / .47 / .27
.83 / .57 / .63 / .55
.85 / .62 / .68 / .70
.79 / .68 / .72 / .73
.78 / .73 / .44 / .76
.81 / .65 / .54 / .49
.60 / .63 / .59 / .42
Items fitting across 4 countries• 1. Appropriate responses are made after an incident to address the
reasons why the incident occurred. Reporting/ Learning• 26. There are so many changes that it is hard to keep track of the
current situation. Communication Of Change• 29. My manager speaks about safety but does not take action.
Involvement• 30. I trust the confidentiality of the reporting and investigation
process. Trust• 42. Procedures accurately describe the way in which I do my job.
Communication of Change• 58. People understand the need to report incidents in order to
identify trends and make changes to the system if required. Reporting/Learning
Items fitting across 3 countries• 1. Appropriate responses are made after an incident to address the reasons why the incident occurred. Reporting/
Learning • 8. Controllers provide information about systems to maintenance personnel to keep the systems working properly
(and vice versa). Teaming• 9. We are consulted about changes to the system and our opinions and input into areas such as safety
assessments is actively sought after. Involvement• 17. People are willing to report incidents because they know they will be treated in a just and fair manner.
Reporting/Learning• 20. Sometimes I have to bend the rules to cope with the workload. Commitment• 24. Information about changes to procedures or the system is easily accessible. Communication Of Change • 29. My manager speaks about safety but does not take action. Involvement• 35. I know what the future plans are for development of the system or the service. Communication of Change • 40. Everyone shares the responsibility for safety in this organization. Commitment/Responsibility• 41. I trust the systems that I need to use in my job. Trust• 42. Procedures accurately describe the way in which I do my job. Communication of Change • 44. Team meetings are used to communicate concerns and collect ideas for improvements. Reporting/Learning • 46. Controllers get sufficient training, prior to major changes being made, for example in the simulator. Teaming• 48. People avoid getting involved in safety because their opinions are ignored. Teaming• 52. Lessons learned from incidents are published in a newsletter or a similar document. Trust• 58. People understand the need to report incidents in order to identify trends and make changes to the system if
required. Reporting/Learning
How we are involved
in safety
Involvement
Teaming
Reporting& Learning
How we learn
Communication
Trust
How we prioritise safety(Commitment & Responsibility)
V39
V2
V6
V34
V40
V43
V9
V27
V29
V49
V8
V21
V46
V48
V54
V44
V58
V1
V17
V53
V24
V26
V35
V42
V57
V3
V15
V30
V33
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eeeeee .35
.48
.37
.40
.57
.29
.55.76.65.66
.40
.32
.45
.40
.45
.46
.55
.48
.59
.40
.65
.38
.48
.50
.74
.62
.57
.44
.44
.47
.92
.91
.98
.76
1.02
.85
1.00
.76
.35
.24
.38
.25
.37
.27
Best Model Fit – ANSP B
Future Work• Further refinement of questionnaire
– Seems to have face and content validity but not good discriminant validity
• Retention of ‘ambiguous’ statements, e.g. ‘Everyone knows about an accident that is just waiting to happen’?