Focus Air Safety Policy

COMPLIANCE

Safety is a key principle of Focus Air. The Ultimate responsibility for safety within the company rests with the General Manager/CFI. However it is the responsibility of each and every employee and student to ensure that our operations are conducted with the highest level of safety. All those involved be they employees or students are to comply with the Focus Air safety policy and procedures.

• This requires;
  1. Training
  2. Good relations between management, employees and students
  3. Monitoring of unsafe work behaviours
  4. Safety control systems

FOCUS AIR EXECUTIVE SAFETY

We, the undersigned, state that, as senior management of Focus Air, we affirm our commitment to flight safety as our top priority

• To achieve this we undertake to the best of our ability:
  1. To ensure that all operations conducted by Focus Air on the ground and in the air have safety as the primary goal of these operations
  2. Never to allow any activity nor allow any aircraft to commence operations with the knowledge that, due to some influence under our control, increase unnecessary risk-no matter how slight
  3. To promote flight safety as the top priority amongst our students, other pilots and persons with whom we have dealings with
  4. To set a new standard by assuming a leading role in flight operations safety management through internal safety systems and reviews, external interaction by maintaining an effective safety programme.
  5. Never to allow management pressure to influence the execution of tasks at the expense of safety. Safety standards will not be compromised under any circumstances

It should be remembered that safety management does not just consist of a set of policies and procedures, but is in the manner in which safety is handled in the work environment by everyone involved and how those policies and procedures are implemented into the workings of the organization.

FOCUS AIR SAFETY VISION

To create a sustainable organizational culture of safety integrity and establish Focus Air as the aviation/training industry safety benchmark An ideal safety culture is the engine that drives the system towards a goal of sustaining the maximum resistance towards operational hazards. What drives the system is a constant level of respect for anything that may bypass organizational safety systems.

It is very dangerous to think that an organization is safe because no information is saying otherwise. The best ways to stay cautious is to gather as much as we can of the right kind of information, which means creating an informed culture – an informed culture is a safety conscious culture.

FOCUS AIR SAFETY MISSION

To ensure that safety performance levels exceed internationally accepted standards by having safety as a core principle at Focus Air.

FOCUS AIR SAFETY STRATEGY

At Focus Air we will adopt a positive and pro-active safety strategy by continuously and consciously seeking conditions, which are indicative of emerging breaches of safety integrity. These conditions will be controlled through highly effective Safety Management System process.

GOALS OF THE SAFETY PROCESS

• The commitment to a comprehensive corporate safety approach at Focus Air
• The establishment and maintenance of an effective system to ensure safety management at Focus Air
• The establishment and maintenance of an effective system to achieve safety oversight (monitoring, auditing and promoting) at Focus Air

With Focus Air’s management serious commitment to safety, shared care and concern for hazards and solicitude for their impact on people, realistic and flexible norms and rules about hazards, and continual reflection upon practice through monitoring, analysis and feedback, a healthy safety culture will develop and reflect in all Focus Air operations.

CORPORATE SAFETY APPROACH

• Formulate a clear safety policy which includes executive commitment, vision, mission goals, objectives and strategy including a direct link communication policy
• Define roles, allocate safety accountability and responsibility within the company at all levels
• Promote a positive safety culture throughout the company
• Formally document all safety policies, principles and processes
• Allocate relevant resources for an effective safety management system
• Support a formal internal and external safety review process

EFFECTIVE SAFETY SYSTEM

• Establish mechanisms for effective control, such as hazard identification, risk assessment and early detection of, preventative action and action on, any deterioration in safety performance
• Establish effective communication channels for safety concerns to the Focus Air Safety officer for resolution and feedback on action/s taken. This should include formal and informal communication channels, regular communications between management, Instructors, pilots, student pilots and employees
• Provide aviation safety training whenever possible (courses, demonstrations, exercises)
• Benchmark against industry best safety practices to measure the safety standards and achievements of Focus Air
• Provide for safety integrity with any company changes such as the introduction of new equipment, changes in SOPs/TPM, new staff, etc
• Involve Durban Aviation personnel from management, Instructors, pilots, students and employees, in safety exercises by delegation, encouragement and recognition
• Establish Emergency Response plans and simulated exercises to test effectiveness
• Prioritization of safety over production
• Maintaining a high profile of safety in meetings

SAFETY OVERSIGHT OBJECTIVES

• Establish a system for the capture of safety reports such as the ‘In house occurrence reports’, unsafe conditions, incidents, etc
• Establish an effective safety data recording and analysis system
• Establish a system for the documentation of all applicable aviation safety regulations, company policies, safety goals and objectives, standards, SOP’s, safety reports, etc and make such documentation available to concerned personnel
• Establish a comprehensive safety audit system with flexibility to focus on specific concerns as they arise
• Establish a system for the conduct and publication to relevant personnel of safety investigations and implementation of corrective/remedial actions
• Establishment of an ongoing safety promotional campaign in the form of regular (monthly) safety awareness meetings/seminars and safety bulletins.
• Periodic review of the safety management system by an independent body if possible

NON INCRIMINATING POLICY

Focus Air recognises and understands that the potential for errors exist even in an organisation with a most effective safety management system. The control of errors, which will result in a high level of flight safety, is dependent on the knowledge of existence of, or potential areas for safety concern, problems, hazards and occurrences.

Focus Air therefore regards the reporting of such events through mechanisms of this Safety Management System essential in order that corrective action be taken to prevent a recurrence and continuously improve safety.

The management of Focus Air pledges that all reports will be treated without incrimination, reprisal or repercussion from the company. The only exception to this is if an act is found to have had criminal intent, wilful negligence, involved substance abuse or sabotage.

It is important to realise that an organization culture develops over a period of time and cannot be created instantly. Organizations like organisms; adapt. The safety culture of an organization is developed as a result of history, work environment, crew and staff members, health and safety practices consistency, continual assessments and management leadership.