Best Ways of Handling Aviation Accidents Explored

Last week, managing and minimizing the number of accidents, which occur in the aviation industry, was the focus of Cambridge-based event, hosted by IOSH's Aviation and Aerospace Group.

Aviation experts met at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford to share knowledge, experiences as well as lessons learnt and the best practices identified following previous aviation incidents, such as Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps.

Commenting, Chair of the Aviation Group, Ross Coppolo, stated:

"The aviation industry will always have to deal with crisis situations by the very means of what we do.

"In the last five years unfortunately there have been hundreds of aviation accidents worldwide, fortunately mostly without serious injuries or deaths. Unfortunately, a series of recent unforeseen tragedies have really brought the issue of crisis management back to the forefront of people's attention.

"No organisation is exempt from a crisis situation so it is imperative that you have the right robust procedures in place."

One of the speakers, Jeremy Allen of Kenyon International Emergency Services, said:

"Accidents themselves are not predictable but the consequences are.

"It is rare that something happens for the first time. Our job, as a community, is to make sure we continue to look back at case studies and reports and make sure we are learning for the next emergency....

"...Stop trying to react to what has happened and get out there preparing for the things that you know will happen."

Another speaker, Tiggy Thiagarajah, who is Resilience Manager for Virgin Atlantic, said:

"Crises these days are played out very much in full view of the public.

"In crisis management you always have plans but when an actual real event happens you have to be prepared for things to go completely off-piste. One of the things I have learned in crisis management is to expect the unexpected."

The Conference also marked the launch of new airside driving safety training DVD.

It is hoped the DVD, which was developed by IOSH Aviation and Aerospace Group with help from the Civil Aviation Authority and the Health and Safety Executive, will raise awareness of the dangers of driving airside.

Commenting on the DVD project, Simon Harrison, of the Aviation and Aerospace Group, stated:

"The airside environment provides diverse hazards not normally a factor elsewhere. The key for us is that minor incidents can lead to catastrophic events.

"A small amount of damage to an aircraft – something that a driver may not think is worth reporting – can lead to a major event, and that is what we are trying to avoid."

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