The emotional and physical effort associated with a serious incident or accident should not be under estimated; that’s why some pre-planning in the form of a documented Emergency Response Plan (ERP) is useful.
At the outset, it should be stated that aviation operations actively try to prevent incidents and accidents through integrated Safety Management Systems (SMS). The unfortunate reality of this industry is that occasionally, in spite of every good initiative, something will occur.
Planning for the event seems to be an exercise with a rather negative outlook, but one which is very necessary in order to ensure;
• To properly manage the emergency
• The safe and efficient continuation of normal day to day operations
• Identifying and isolating the root cause or risk to ensure that there are no further unsafe occurrences
• Co-ordinate the activities of internal and external agencies who may be investigating the incident or accident
• Communicate with key stakeholders such as the Board, Partners, clients, insurers, third party suppliers etc.
• Manage the organization’s reputation and the news media.
The development of an ERP is not just an activity for large air transport carriers, it is also necessary for small operators to have a plan, and occasionally practice the implementation of it. By virtue of the practice activities, staff and management safety awareness is re-invigorated.
In my experience, it is often the small to medium sized operators which handle serious events poorly, often resulting in; general confusion compromising the safety of their other day to day business, poor communication with relevant stakeholders, and abysmal publicity and news media management. In effect, the business looses its control of the situation and inadvertently passes it to third parties, some of whom exploit the situation for their own purposes.
It is amazing how many aviation businesses undervalue reputation, particularly in an industry which relies upon confidence and safety. Following an emergency event, invariably, reputation is lost; it’s only a matter of degree. A good emergency response can minimise the loss. Often smaller operators loose enough reputation following an accident to loose the business completely.
The ERP should not be something with is simply bought “off the shelf”. As is the case with SMS, it should be aligned with the size and character of the operation. Click here to read my blog about SMS needing to match the organization.
As is the case with an SMS, the ERP should be integrated as part of the businesses safety management processes and its document suite. It must have a similar format to other documentation and essentially have the same look and feel to aid navigation and familiarity. It should not be a thoughtless add-on.
An effective and practiced ERP is valuable and is good business for any aviation business.
My book, "Safety Management without the Mumbo Jumbo" can be purchased for $29.95 + $5.95 postage and handling. Click here to purchase the book.
