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

ee

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’?