Young Professionals: Developing and Practicing a Safety Mindset

It seems like everyone is busy, and sometimes, through no fault of our own, little things can get overlooked. That’s why incorporating a safety mindset into every task is more critical than ever.

“The first step is to make safety a passion,” said Bob Baron, Ph.D and president, The Aviation Consulting Group, LLC. “Not just part of your job. With passion comes a greater openness and willingness to try new ideas, which is a foundation for a person’s lifelong commitment to doing the right thing. It can take a lot of courage to be the person who says something when they see something.

“You also have to know how to use the proper company channels to report a situation. This is not just telling your supervisor; it’s using the established safety reporting system to share what you’ve seen,” said Baron.

“It can be difficult, especially for young professionals, to report something you may see a manager doing. That’s no excuse. You can’t overlook an unsafe situation just because others are ignoring it.”

Gil Lopez, CAM, director of dispatch, safety & security, Four Corners Aviation, said his No. 1 tip is “the practice of personal accountability and continuous awareness. After transitioning to a safety leadership role, one of the most valuable realizations for me was that the cumulative effect of individual actions plays a crucial role in overall safety standards,” Lopez said.

“One of the most impactful contributions to our organization came through a safety report from a part-time aircraft detailer. He identified a hazard that should be mitigated and took the initiative to submit a digital report. It wasn’t his ‘job,’ but that report resulted in tangible results that inspired other members to contribute to the SMS program,” said Lopez.

Patrick Skinner, CAM, captain/safety officer at TTI Aviation, said he tries “to identify the biggest threat to each flight. Take nothing for granted, and you won’t allow yourself to be vulnerable to routineness, which can catch you off guard and get you in trouble.

“We fly to Milwaukee all the time. It’s routine – a takeoff and a landing. But every day, those things are different in some way,” Skinner said. “If you’re talking about what that difference can be with another pilot or a mechanic, you may not come up with anything concrete, but at least you are in that threat/error management mindset. Let’s identify it and not let it get any further than it has to.”

Learn more about practicing safety in business aviation at nbaa.org/safety.