Managing Flight Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic
How to make your safety management system cope with the current scenario
Not very long ago, the aviation industry was finally beginning to see some positivity stemming from what seems to have been a steady, sustained growth following an economic crisis a few years ago. Almost overnight, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought all this progress not only to a complete halt but has also introduced unprecedented levels of uncertainty in absolutely every sector of the industry. In the same way that companies have become unsure of their futures, flight crews do not know either what to expect for the upcoming days, given that aviation has quickly undergone a process of multiple lay-offs and changes in work agreements. Even though most crews are, at this moment, grounded and awaiting further guidance from their companies, many are still flying and having to deal both with the uncertainty about their careers and the threat that COVID-19 poses to their health and that of their families.
In a recent article for Business Insider, many pilots and flight attendants share their perspectives on what working amid the COVID-19 crisis looks like. “‘Not since 9/11 have I been more concerned about my job security,’ a veteran pilot for a major US airline said. ‘I’m scared about being laid off again. Another 9/11 disruption means I will probably never upgrade to captain before I retire.’ ‘For now it’s okay, but my concern is definitely shifting,’ a flight attendant for a Canadian airline said. ‘Not so much about my health, but about job security and how this is going to impact the airline and my family financially if I have to take a leave or have any of my flying canceled.’”
It is unrealistic to think that such worries cannot affect flight safety. The first concern that comes to mind is stress, for the very reason that it stems from an individual’s evaluation of the demands that they perceive to have been placed upon them and their perspective of their own ability to cope with such demands. “Demands” in this context does not necessarily mean what companies, at this moment, are expecting from their pilots and flight attendants, but rather what flight crews, whether they mean it or not, are imposing on themselves. The demand to keep their jobs, remain healthy, be able to support their families, be able to protect their families from the virus’ threat, etc. are all examples of factors at which crews may feel like they have to be successful, at the same time as having to safely conduct passenger-carrying flights. Therefore, the issue arises from the overwhelming nature of the pandemic. That is, when individuals carrying all those demands upon their shoulders realize that their control power is insignificant close to the proportion that the COVID-19 crisis has attained, stress is the inevitable outcome.
Another safety threat that comes to mind when thinking about the crews that are still required to operate during the pandemic is what psychologist James Reason calls “absent-minded mistakes.” Absent-minded mistakes occur when the practitioner’s mind is elsewhere while executing a task, and his or her actions end up being conditioned by the environment in which he or she is inserted. For example, most of the times when we find ourselves close to a refrigerator, our goal is usually to open it, look at what is inside, maybe grab or return a couple of items, and then close it. It is not uncommon to hear stories about people who forgot items like remote controls and cellphones inside refrigerators. This usually happens because very likely such items were in the hands of these people, the individuals had their minds focused in something else other than what they were doing at the moment, and they were close to a refrigerator. The mistake (e.g., placing the remote control inside the refrigerator) occurs because the people’s actions were conditioned by their environment; that is, in close proximity to a refrigerator. In the cockpit, absent-minded mistakes are seen as inadvertent flap retractions, runway incursions, and a myriad of other accident precursors. I, myself, even when working from home very well protected from the COVID-19 threat, had my share of absent-minded behaviors as I allowed my mind to begin wondering about how the virus would find its way to my house and kill me — completely overlooking the favorable statistics for people my age and health condition — and found myself opening and closing cabinet doors as I wandered about my kitchen.
So how can you assure safety amid such turbulent times? First of all, consider the psychological risk of COVID-19 in your mission risk assessment. Many general aviation operators have the great habit of using risk assessment resources such as FAA’s FRAT (flight risk assessment tool) to assess the risks of flights individually. These tools allow operators to factor in multiple threats and get a risk score that can guide them toward a “go/no-go” decision. Simply put, the more hazards a flight is subjected to, the higher the final risk score is going to be. Therefore, make sure that the psychological risk of COVID-19 is considered. A night VFR flight to a certain airdrome may have its risk assessed as “tolerable,” but it may very well become “intolerable” when the COVID-19 factor is accounted for. Regarding the weight that operators should assign this risk, I believe that there is not a right or wrong answer, in the same way as there is not a single way to perform a risk assessment. Due to the fact that risk is subjective and its perception varies from person to person, it is up to the operators to decide how big of a role this factor may play in their operations. This may also mean that crews may have to be consulted prior to a flight and asked how their mental state is being affected by the pandemic (e.g., “not affected at all, moderately affected, or completely affected”).
Secondly, you have to focus on employee mental health. The pandemic has presented many aspects that are difficult to believe. Empty streets, closed stores, empty supermarket shelves, people in isolation, and doctors dressed up in astronaut-like suits. For many of us, this entire situation resembles a Hollywood zombie movie. Consequently, it is reasonable to expect that some people may not be having an easy time adapting to this new reality, and flight crews may very well be among them. For this reason, companies should facilitate their employees’ access to mental healthcare support. Should not the individuals who are still flying be checked up remotely by a psychologist every other day? Or, at least, should not they have access to a help-line in case they find themselves in psychological distress? Understandably, many general aviation operators may not possess the resources to fund suchlike support programs, but this does not mean that there are not alternatives that are almost as effective. A good strategy, for instance, would be to provide peer support using other company pilots who are not flying to hear what flight crews have to say and give them an opportunity to vent their concerns.
By the same token, companies should be able to provide some mental comfort to their flight crews by assuring the well-being of their families. This could be accomplished through programs that rely on other company employees — who may not be very busy, given the reductions in flight activity — to buy groceries and prescription medicine for the families of their flying colleagues, thus ensuring that they are less exposed to the virus’ threat.
Finally, use your creativity. If this pandemic has proven anything, is that operators definitely know how to think outside the box before a completely novel situation. Having said that, explore possibilities and put yourself in the shoes of those who are flying and working hard to support the business. What else could you do for them to ease their state of mind and allow them to better focus on their flight duties? Most of the time, solely by allowing them to be heard is already a very effective risk management strategy.
