How can you use air traffic control safety culture to reduce delays and congestion?

1 What is ATC safety culture?

ATC safety culture is the shared values, beliefs, and norms that influence how ATC personnel think and act in relation to safety. ATC safety culture affects how you communicate, make decisions, handle errors, cope with stress, and learn from incidents. A positive ATC safety culture promotes a high level of safety awareness, trust, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

2 Why is ATC safety culture important?

ATC safety culture is critical for ensuring the quality and reliability of ATC services. It can help to reduce delays and congestion by encouraging proactive and preventive actions to identify and mitigate risks before they become problems, as well as fostering effective communication with pilots, airlines, airports, and other ATC units. Additionally, a positive ATC safety culture should support a just and fair culture that recognizes and rewards good performance, encourages reporting and feedback, and addresses errors and violations appropriately. Finally, it should enable a learning culture that facilitates the sharing and dissemination of best practices, lessons learned, and innovations to improve safety and efficiency.

3 How can you assess your ATC safety culture?

To assess your ATC safety culture, you can use various methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, audits, and indicators. These methods can help you measure and monitor the strengths and weaknesses of your ATC safety culture and identify areas for improvement. You can also compare your results with other ATC units or organizations to benchmark your performance and learn from others.

4 How can you improve your ATC safety culture?

In order to improve your ATC safety culture, you need to adopt a systematic and participatory approach that involves all levels of your organization. Begin by defining your vision and goals for the culture and communicating them clearly and consistently to staff and stakeholders. Establish a safety management system (SMS) that provides policies, procedures, tools, and resources to manage safety risks and performance. Implement targeted safety interventions and initiatives that address the specific issues of your ATC unit and align with your safety culture vision and goals. Evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions and adjust them as needed based on feedback and data. Finally, celebrate successes and recognize staff and stakeholders for their contributions.

5 What are some examples of ATC safety culture in action?

ATC safety culture can help reduce delays and congestion in various scenarios. For instance, when noticing a potential conflict between two aircraft, one should use clear and concise phraseology to issue instructions, confirm compliance, inform their supervisor and adjacent ATC unit, coordinate with them for a safe resolution, and report the incident to the SMS. When experiencing high workload and stress due to bad weather and traffic congestion, one should use effective coping strategies such as prioritizing tasks, delegating responsibilities, and asking for help when needed. Additionally, communication and cooperation with colleagues and stakeholders is necessary to manage the workload and stress. Participating in debriefings and wellness programs can also assist in sharing experiences and supporting well-being. Finally, when learning about a new technology or procedure that can improve ATC performance and efficiency, one should seek information and training on how to use it. Additionally, sharing knowledge with peers and stakeholders is important to solicit their feedback. Lastly, one should monitor the outcomes of the new technology or procedure and report any issues or problems to the SMS.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?