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For many years, safety has been seen as something that just….happens. It either is or it is not, you’re either safe or you aren’t. Companies relied heavily on the number of incidents (or lack of incidents) when they discussed their safety record. They would create “Safety First” posters, and they would investigate major occurrences. That was the safety program for a lot of companies across different industries.
There has been a ton of progress made in this area, but sadly, this train of thought is still out there. What these companies fail to recognize is that safety management is not a program. It is not something that you can fire and forget – safety management is a science. It is, just as the dictionary tells us, a systematically organized body of knowledge. It is also changing, evolving, and growing. And the practitioners of this (or any science) must keep up with that evolution.
Imagine taking your car to a mechanic who began working on cars in 1983, but never continued to learn about emerging automobile technology. How effective would they be at fixing your car? What if you went to a doctor who got their M.D. in 1990 and didn’t perform any continuing education after that? How safe would you feel?
Companies who fail to recognize that safety is a science, one where new discoveries are made and new techniques are crafted, are behind the times.
At Omni Air Transport, we understand the science of safety. We know that it is our duty to leave no stone unturned when looking for a way to apply the principles of safety management to our operation.
As the Director of Safety, it is my responsibility to seek new knowledge every day and share that knowledge with my peers across the company. The safety and security of our operation is my sole focus, and my only job. While some operators might make safety a secondary duty for someone who has a full-time job, we do not. Safety is my passion, my life’s work, and something I genuinely enjoy doing, not an adjunct responsibility for my “real” job. (If only they would let me wear a lab coat!)
Your safety matters to us – and we will never stop learning how to do better.
Written by Larry Soles, Omni Air Transport Director of Safety and Security. With nearly a decade of experience in military and commercial aviation, Larry Soles has made safer flight operations his life’s work. In his aviation career, Larry has implemented or overhauled Safety Management Systems, CASS programs, Quality Assurance audit programs, and safety investigation protocols.
