Papers

Featured AeroSafety World Articles by TACG president Dr. Robert Baron
Cockpit Discipline	Revisiting Human Factors	Do The Right Thing	The Toxic Captain
Flight Path-ogens	Speaking of Errors	Double Trouble
Featured Web Article The Human Factors Ladder Still Needs to Extend Higher Robert Baron, Ph.D The Aviation Consulting Group We have certainly come a long way in human factors training for aircraft maintenance technicians. I have had the opportunity to work with organizations around the world teaching and helping to develop customized human factors programs. I have measured both quantifiable and qualifiable changes in attitudes and behaviors as a result of human factors training. That is the good news. Then there is the not so good news. I have also observed a somewhat disappointing common trend throughout many organizations---the lack of management participation in human factors courses. We understand the basic tenet that human factors training really does require participation from all levels, including all levels of management, if it is to be truly effective. The same can be said about the upcoming push for Safety Management Systems. Yet, I have observed a number of situations where the opposite is true. Upper-level management believe that they do not need to participate in human factors training because, "We don't need it, it's only for mechanics," "We don't make mistakes," and, "We just don't have the time for this kind of training." Guess what? Managers do make errors. In fact some of the most vivid aviation accidents have been precipitated by management errors at the very highest levels of an organization (sometimes referred to as latent errors). But even as history repeats itself there still appears to be an element of “error insulation” for those in management positions. This type of management mindset has been one of the remaining impediments to successful human factors programs. When this type of management attitude permeates an organization it can have negative consequences. First, it can negatively affect an organizations' safety culture. Management is not only about making strategic business decisions and watching out for the bottom line---it also serves as a model of safety behavior that is clearly visible to employees at all levels of the organization. Thus if employees see that management is not buying into or attending human factors courses then it will certainly diminish the importance of human factors training to line employees. Managers need to not only “talk the talk” but also “walk the walk.” Second, it can lead to a disseverance in organizational safety philosophies. This is where line employees and management may have divergent views on how things get done. It is also how negative norms are propagated. "Them versus us" is not an admirable (or profitable) organizational virtue. To put this in perspective, one of the most memorable human factors courses I taught was so positively received by the aircraft maintenance technicians that they wished the training lasted a few more days! Yet, in general, they were disappointed (but not surprised) that the highest level managers did not attend the course. When speaking with a few of the aircraft maintenance technicians individually it was quite apparent that they thought the training would be futile because of management’s lack of interest and participation in the course. In summary, the purpose of this article was to highlight one of the ongoing weaknesses in the progression of human factors training programs both in the United States and around the world. High-level managers need to understand that they do make mistakes. After all, to err is human. Management should attend a human factors class not only to learn about their own human performance limitations but also to understand what their aircraft maintenance technicians are learning in order to reduce errors and thus reduce error-related expenditures. Once we truly have management commitment and it is more than organizational “lip service” then, and only then, can we say that we have reached the highest step on the human factors ladder. Full List of Dr. Baron's Articles, Papers and Presentations Complacency in the Work Environment and How it Affects SMS. Pathogens, Violations, and Unsafe Events. Appeared in the September 2012 issue of AeroSafety World, a publication of the Flight Safety Foundation. Perceptions of Safety. Are we Really Preventing the Same Accident From Happening Again? Appeared in the May 2012 issue of AeroSafety World, a publication of the Flight Safety Foundation. The Toxic Captain: Remediate or Terminate? Appeared in the March 2012 issue of AeroSafety World, a publication of the Flight Safety Foundation. Airplane Crashes and Media Spin: This Just Needs to Stop. Cabin Safety: Is Complacency and Carelessness the new Norm? The End of an Error. Appeared in the November 2011 issue of Flying Magazine. Some Truths About SMS (Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Just the Messenger). Appeared as an exclusive online article (06/13/2011) on Aviation Maintenance Technology's website. Quantifying CRM Behavioral Markers in the Practical Cockpit Environment. To Land or not to Land? A Cognitive Roadmap to Approach and Landing Accidents. Landing in Extreme Weather: When Getting it on the Ground can Prove Fatal. Shaping Professionalism and Integrity in Aircraft Maintenance. Appeared in the February 2011 issue of AeroSafety World, a publication of the Flight Safety Foundation. The Human Factors Funnel Model (HFFM): Another Window on Error Causation. Introducing the Human Factors Funnel Model (HFFM). Presented at the FAASTeam Regional Safety Seminar on January 26, 2011, Myrtle Beach, SC. Contributing Factors in Current-Day Aircraft Accidents and Incidents. Presented at the Nigeria AIB Annual Safety Conference on October 18-20, 2010, Lagos, Nigeria. Managing the "Final Four" With Effective Crew Resource Management. Presented at the Nigeria AIB Annual Safety Conference on October 18-20, 2010, Lagos, Nigeria. Making Human Factors Training More Than Just Lip Service. Presented at the Nigeria AIB Annual Safety Conference on October 18-20, 2010, Lagos, Nigeria. Writing Tips for Theses and Dissertations. Academic distribution. Rethinking Human Error Statistics in Aircraft Accidents. Appeared in the April 2010 issue of Director of Maintenance Magazine. Beyond the Initial Human Factors Course: A Little Science…A Little Anecdote. Appeared in the April 2010 issue of AeroSafety World, a publication of the Flight Safety Foundation. Northwest Flight 188: When Pilots Become Passengers. Failure to Follow Procedures: Deviations are a Significant Factor in Maintenance Errors. Appeared in the July/August 2009 issue of Director of Maintenance Magazine. Fatigue Risk Management in Aircraft Maintenance: An Update on a Complex Issue. Appeared in the May 2009 issue of Aviation Maintenance Magazine. An Exploration of Deviations in Aircraft Maintenance Procedures. Appeared in the Winter 2009 issue of the International Journal of Applied Aviation Studies (IJAAS), a publication of the FAA Academy. Development of the Safety Culture Assessment Tool (SCAT). Using an Eight-Factor Model to Measure Error Attitudes at a Regional Airline. Appeared in the October 2009 issue of AeroSafety World, a publication of the Flight Safety Foundation. The Human Factors Ladder Still Needs to Extend Higher. Appeared in the March 2009 issue of Aviation Maintenance Magazine. Error Prevention Strategies for the Aircraft Maintenance Technician. Presented at the Minnesota Aviation Maintenance Technician's 40th Annual Conference on March 17, 2009, Minneapolis, MN. Measuring Safety Climate at an Aircraft Maintenance Facility: Can Training Change Attitudes? Doctoral dissertation completed July 2008. Transformational Leadership in Aviation Operations. What the Media Should Know About Aircraft Accidents. SOS for Your SMS: A Brief Look at Airport Safety Management Systems. Presented at the South Carolina Aviation Association's 31st Annual Aviation Conference on February 12, 2009, Myrtle Beach, SC. The Challenges of an Error Reporting System. Appeared in the March/April 2008 issue of Aviation Maintenance Technology Magazine. Is the Climate Right for a Major Air Disaster? Understanding Human Factors in High-Risk Industries. Presented at Wood Group Power Operation's Annual Health and Safety Conference on September 26, 2007, Alpharetta, GA. Current Trends in Aviation Human Factors. Presented at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on January 23, 2007, Edwards Air Force Base, CA. Aircraft Accident Investigations: Have we Lost Touch With the Behavioral Approach? Appeared in the April-June 2007 issue of ISASI Forum, the journal of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators. What Ever Happened to Cockpit Discipline? A Dissection of Corporate Airlines Flight 5966. Appeared in the December 2007 issue of AeroSafety World, a publication of the Flight Safety Foundation. Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance: A Look at the Fundamental Concepts. Understanding the Role of Safety Culture in the Aviation Environment. Why are Routine Flight Operations Killing Pilots and Their Passengers? Presented at the Human Performance, Situation Awareness, and Automation Conference (HPSAA), March 24, 2004, Daytona Beach, FL. Human Performance Limitations in Medicine: A Cognitive Focus. Drinking and Flying: The Effects of Blood Alcohol Levels on a Pilot's Cognitive and Motor Functioning Skills. Pilots and Memory: A Study of a Fallible Human System. Safety Culture and Profit: Aviation's Continuing Organizational Dilemma. Monovision Contact Lens use and the Crash of Delta Airlines Flight 554 at LaGuardia Airport, October 1996. Why On-Demand Jet Charter Needs CRM...Now! Conflict in the Cockpit: Can't we all Just get Along? A Review of the Literature Pertaining to Decision Making in Aviation. Presented at the State Bar of Georgia (Aviation Law Section) Meeting on January 06, 2006, Atlanta, GA. CRM From the Instructor/Facilitator Viewpoint: Observations we can all Learn From. The Cockpit, the Cabin, and Social Psychology. Barriers to Effective Communication: Implications for the Cockpit. Runway Incursions: Where are we? Aviation Training: Methods and Anecdotes to Help Understand how we Learn. Psychology of the Cockpit: The Pros and Cons of the MMPI in Pre-Employment Screening.