Page 10 - 2016-Issue3
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10  jUST CULTURE BEyOND LEGISLATION










          Just Culture Beyond Legislation




          By Paul Reuter, ECA Board Director

               ith the introduction of the Occurrence
         WReporting  Regulation  in  November
         2015, the European aviation industry finally
         received a legally binding definition of ‘Just
         Culture’. While a binding regulation is crucial,
         it is not enough. Most airlines still struggle
         with the concept of Just Culture and how to
         introduce  it in their  structure  and, more
         importantly, how to make it work.
            The reasons for this are manifold. But at
         the core, for it to work, Just Culture requires
         more than just a regulatory compliance and
         copy-pasting the definition in the airlines’
         manuals. Just Culture is a far-reaching
         paradigm shift that requires the organisation
         to turn inwards, contemplate  on itself  and,   remember  Sullenberger’s  landing  on  the   values need to be lived daily - from the top
         possibly, be ready to change its approaches. But   Hudson. These reports on “what went right”   down.
         it also requires the organisation to be clear and   can be just as important for the organisation to   And herein lays the biggest challenge for
         concise about the values it communicates and   learn as the “what went wrong” ones.   the organisation and its management; every
         shares with its people. Shiny posters and catchy   Nevertheless, it also needs to be clear that   single day, in the way it communicates
         slogans will not do, at least, not in the long   certain behaviours, like criminal intent or   internally (and also externally to a certain
         run. For Just Culture to blossom, an organisa-  recklessness, cannot be tolerated either for the   extent), in the way the hierarchy approaches
         tion  will  require  to  actively  cultivate  trust,   simple reason that this would also undermine   issues, problems, and interacts with the staff,
         mutual respect, and credibility within. This,   any effort to have a credible Just Culture   the awareness that Just Culture principles need
         however, will prove to be quite a challenge for   perception.            to be followed and strengthened, as well as
         most organisations. So why bother?     Today, the EU Regulation on Occurrence   credibly fostered, must be present. Even on the
            Air Transport is a complex and dynamic   Reporting (376/2014) requires staff to report   bad days. Or, especially on the bad days!
         environment, where no matter how     these events. By adhering to Just Culture   Taking the time to  build  this  culture of
         well-trained or motivated an individual is, due   principles,  what  we  are  trying  to  do  is  to   trust and respect, taking the time to reflect on
         to the physiological, cognitive, and sensory   change that deeply engrained behaviour of   how the organisation approaches things,
         limits on the human condition, this individual   hiding mistakes and rather encourage people   accepting that the human element within the
         will sometimes end up making mistakes, errors   to honestly report these events without   organisation is an important factor for success,
         in judgement or the wrong analysis of a   needing to fear undue retribution.  on par with legislation. The European
         situation. All  this might lead  to situations   Unfortunately, we will not be able to simply   legislation is a prodigious step towards an even
         where safety is impaired or perceived to be   decree that “We now have Just Culture and   safer aviation. But pilots are at the front line of
         impaired. We need to accept this and we need   could everybody please behave accordingly”.   the system: if we do not report events,
         to  be  aware  that,  in  order  to  continuously   We will need to create, grow, and nurture this   decisions or mistakes, the whole system will
         improve our imperfect system (our setup,   atmosphere that will slowly generate trust from   remain a nice theory.
         procedures, rules…), we need to get the data   the staff in the organisation and foster mutual
         from these “unsafe” events and deviations from   respect.
         the  norm  to  analyse  them  and  improve  on   For most organisations, and very often also   An extended version of this article was
         what we are doing and how we are doing it. It   for the individuals at the helm, this will mean a   published on www.eurocockpit.be as part
         should also be kept in mind that often it is the   (sometimes  large)  shift in  mentality.  The   of ECA’s  #ReportingMatters campaign.
         human interference that saves the day. When   organisation will need to reflect on the values   The campaign aims at raising awareness
         the unforeseen complexity of the operation   it wants to share and uphold. It needs not only   on  the  new  Occurrence  Reporting
                                                                                    Regulation in Europe, encouraging safety
         leads to a disaster, the human, relying on   to continuously promote these values within   reporting and promoting Just Culture.
         experience and possibly on instinct, acts. Just   the organisation but, just as importantly, these

         Issue 3 | 2016                                                         InterPilot | The safety and Technical Journal of IFALPA
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