How Ground Handlers Create a Culture of Safety

Safety culture is an important enabler of safety management system (SMS) effectiveness for a ground service provider (GSP). Developing or framing a safety culture in an organization requires a significant planning effort and the implementation of some best practices.

Main Features of Safety Culture

According to Witold Proszynski, safety manager of Qatar Aviation Services (QAS), the buy-in and support from the higher management, trust within the organization, a clear definition of an accountability sharing model, the understanding of the role everyone plays in an SMS and the responsibilities of all parties involved are the main features that define the safety culture of a GSP.

To establish a safety culture in a GSP operation, it is important that the work be done with top management that declares clear and visible statements, together with a strategy and a set of realistic goals for the ground personnel, says aviation consultant Ivar Busk.

“It is also important to point out some responsible people from middle management for marketing the safety promotion efforts in simple terms,” he says.

Other best practices include investigating and following up with all incidents and informing people accordingly in easy-to-understand terms.

“There should also occur regular meetings during which safety issues are top agenda points. Senior managers should not punish people, but rather encourage them to inform the company of all deviations,” advises Busk. “Only gross negligence or misconduct could justify some kind of punishment.”

Integration

“Here at dnata we have a defined vision for safety – to have a culture where all of our people possess the skills, knowledge and confidence to work safely, and feel respected and engaged in helping everyone feel safe. At dnata, safety is everyone’s responsibility,” says Michael Elmir, head of health, safety and environment (HSE) at dnata.

“We are committed to achieving the highest possible safety and security standards for our employees and facilities, our customers and their passengers,” he continues. “Our people are the foundation for our continued growth and success; ensuring their safety and wellbeing at work drives and motivates improvements in safety and all performance areas.”

In 2013, dnata launched the One Safety initiative, explains Elmir.

“In its early stages, One Safety worked to shape the organizational culture and make safety top of mind for every person within the company. Today, One Safety has evolved into a more robust system of standards, policies and procedures to help achieve ‘Goal Zero.’ Through the elimination of unsafe acts and conditions, we can control workplace hazards, and ensure everyone gets home safely every day,” says Elmir.

More recently, dnata has introduced a company-specific integrated management system (IMS).

“The IMS, developed specifically for their diverse business, helps people control risks and deliver high performance consistently. It is only through continuous improvement that we can evolve and enhance the services we provide,” says Elmir.

Cultural Journey

If, from the one, safety culture is a main enabler of SMS, from the other end SMS implementation also affects the overall level of development of the safety culture of GSPs.

According to Elmir, the implementation of SMS provides a framework and structure to help improve safety culture in an organization.

“An SMS also provides policy and procedure around the way an organization does safety and ultimately improves safety culture,” he says. “However, SMS is only one part of improving the culture. Organizations also need to embark on a cultural journey to help shape the way they expect their personnel to act and behave. This complements the SMS and improves the overall level of safety within an organization.”

There has been a concerted effort in the Middle East region to implement SMS and share knowledge and learning across the region, observes Elmir.

“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, several conferences and meetings were organized in the region to share knowledge, learnings and best practice,” he says.

“There is increasing push by the regulators, the airlines and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to demonstrate collaboration and continuous improvement of the companies’ SMSs, which is also shaping the culture in the region.”

Independent vs Airline Owned GSPs

The safety culture at an independent GSP and a GSP under an airline’s control or ownership is different, according to Busk.

“The GSP under the control of an airline very often adopts the culture from the airline’s flight operation, where the culture is often very high,” he says. “These providers can adopt internal procedures, while the independent GSPs are on their own and try to work after standard practices from the aviation industry.”

In addition, points out Busk, airlines often set up their own ground operation procedures, which are relatively easy for an airline to implement individually. Meanwhile the independent GSPs handle several airlines, which might have various procedures.

“IATA, however, has tried to establish more unambiguous programs via the IATA Ground Operations Manual (IGOM) and the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO),” Busk observes.

Fostering a Safety Culture

“We follow international best practice at every location, working closely with airport and government authorities to ensure full compliance with local and international security regulations, whilst also investing in technology and training to drive continuous improvement,” says Elmir.

The safety initiatives at the various locations of dnata include the empowerment of people, at all levels, to act if they see an unsafe act or unsafe condition.

“Other initiatives include the collection and analysis of data to identify trends and implement preventative safety controls, the encouragement of open conversations about safety, the integration of safety in all aspects of people management processes, including recruitment, development and performance management,” says Elmir. “We also conduct the monitoring and measurement of success through a safety governance board structure that sits at all levels of the organization and proactive cultural surveys and safety improvement plans as part of continuous improvement.”

The visibility of safety promotion work is very important.

“The cost of incidents should be made known within the GSP, as cost is always a driver when one wants something changed,” says Busk. “The safety promotion work should be done under a common ‘sign’ so it can be easily recognized by the staff. Top management should also comment on the work in regular messages to the staff.”

According to Proszynski the best practice for fostering a safety culture at a GSP is by maintaining a consistent approach.

“If one defines an accountability sharing system, one needs to follow it with efficient and effective internal communication and demonstrated buy-in from the senior management,” he concludes.