NATS contracted to assess safety culture

NATS has been contracted to work with EUROCONTROL to help assess safety culture.

Led by the company’s Human Factors department, whose objective is to maximise safe human performance, the work will contribute to the safety of future operations as the aviation industry enters a period of growth, change and development.

The contract runs until December 2018 and focuses specifically on the assessment of safety culture at a FAB level across Europe. Work will include:

• Conducting a survey to understand inter-cultural issues for Functional Airspace Blocks;
• Conducting diagnostic workshops with staff within each surveyed ANSP to validate and explore survey findings;
• Development of improvement plans and the transfer of knowledge and skills regarding safety culture to ANSP/FAB employees, encouraging self-reliance and independence

Dr Steven Shorrock, European Safety Culture Programme Leader, EUROCONTROL said: “The EUROCONTROL Safety Culture Programme is a pan-European initiative and has been instrumental in improving safety across the whole network. We are delighted to announce NATS as the winner of a new bid for a support contract. This helps to continue this vital work in the future”.

David Harrison, Director of Safety, said: “I am extremely pleased that our progress in the area of safety culture has led to the award of these contracts. Safety Culture in NATS underpins how we think, talk and act. It is a fundamental to our safety performance and is part of our Safety Strategy. By working with other organisations we learn a lot about safety culture and how we can continuously improve our own.”