It has been said that there is little which differentiates those who win and those who lose.  A lottery ticket for example, can have all the winning numbers except one which itself, is just one off the winning number and it doesn’t win the million dollar lottery - it is nothing.  No one even knows who held the ticket!  The difference between winning and losing can be that fine.  We see the same with our sporting events; for example, the winner of a swimming race may only be 2 seconds ahead of the swimmer who finished last.

W. Somerset Maugham wrote a book about this phenomenon; it was called “The Razor’s Edge”.  When I was a boy a movie was even made about the book – I think that it may have starred Anthony Quinn but don’t quote me.

In my aviation career and my observations of others, I have often seen a similar razor’s edge principle apply to safety!  Have you ever heard of the disaster starting from almost nothing?  I frequently watch “Air Crash Investigation” and it amazes me, how often accidents occur from a small almost unremarkable event.

A simple event may occur and is handled well and nothing comes of it, whereas the same simple event mishandled or in conjunction with other events or circumstances may turn into a disaster.  Clearly good training has a lot to do with the final result, but so have the operator’s or organizations’ supporting systems and infrastructure.

Safety Management systems look to capture these events which may appear very innocuous and benign so that they can be proactively managed and prevent the disaster.  In the past minor events probably were not reported because nothing of substance came of the event and everybody was happy and it was all part of a days work on the flight deck or in the workshop. 

The SMS is a positive step forward but a friend of mine recently said in relation to a fatal accident, “But by the grace of God goes all of us (pilots)”.  How many times have we sat on the razor’s edge and flopped to the side of safety!

To read more about my views about safety management, see my book, “Safety Management without the Mumbo Jumbo” which can be purchased from my secure web site.  Click here to purchase the book. 

Due to exceptional support, the book is now also available as an E-Book for your e-reader device.  Buy from Palmer Higgs bookstore http://www.palmerhiggsbooks.com.au/safety-management-without-the-mumbo-jumbo-ebook.html