Fly Safe: Whom Do You Trust?

Effective safety reporting depends on a program everyone in your organization can contribute to. Learn more about elevating your reporting culture in the August 2024 VAI Spotlight on Safety. ­(Colten Gonzalez-Hill Design Image)

Fly Safe: Whom Do You Trust?

Effective safety reporting depends on listening.

By Chris Hill

Safety culture is fundamentally shaped by the trust employees have in their organization to accept reports about potential safety issues without fear of retribution. But what about an organization’s trust in its employees? How does that affect its safety culture?

It turns out that trust in your sources is the cornerstone of a legitimate reporting program, as it allows the organization to field a variety of reports, from potentially frivolous to lifesaving, without backlash. Understanding the different types of employees who might report safety issues—and reaffirming the value of each employee’s contribution—is crucial to fostering an environment in which all concerns are taken seriously.

The Three Employee Types

Typically, a company with a functional safety reporting program can anticipate receiving reports from three types of employees.

The Recluse: This employee is rarely seen or heard. They are diligent and dedicated workers who focus on their tasks, complete the work without complaint, and go home—quiet and content. They listen to others but prefer to fly under the radar.

Recluses may notice safety issues but hesitate to report them due to a preference for avoiding conflict or believing it’s not their place to voice a concern. They may rely on others to speak up, not realizing they were the only witness to a hazardous condition.

The Respected: Like the recluse, the respected employee generally keeps to themself but occasionally offers constructive criticism. The organization values these employees for their experience, insights, and skills.

The respected’s rare but thoughtful contributions to safety discussions carry significant weight. Their comments are usually well supported and helpful, making them influential in talks about safety and operational improvements. Their impact in these discussions is critical to the organization’s safety culture. However, the respected may overlook small but problematic issues, not recognizing how these early signals, if left unreported, could lead to a major system failure.

The Reviler: The third type of employee isn’t a fan favorite, often for good reason. They’re the constant complainer. They project negativity, pointing out flaws in less-­experienced employees and in efforts to improve processes. These curmudgeons remain valued employees because they’re the most experienced or possess unique or perishable skills essential to the company’s success.

The reviler’s delivery is often crude and insensitive. These employees frequently report safety issues, but their concerns are sometimes dismissed because of their abrasive manner.

Whom Do You Trust to Save Your Company?

Which of these employees would you trust most to prevent a fatal accident, thereby protecting—and perhaps saving—your company?

The answer is all of them—equally.

Every employee is equally capable of recognizing and reporting potential hazards and thus preventing them from becoming certain disasters. Failure to structure and support a safety reporting program designed for all employees can allow a fatal chain of events to continue undiscovered and unchecked, eventually resulting in preventable tragedy and financial ruin.

Every safety report is potentially priceless, regardless of the source. Responding only to reports from reputable employees and dismissing those from staff who seem always to be crying wolf or who hold a consistently negative outlook will irreparably damage the organization’s safety culture.

Effective safety risk management requires treating each report equally and ensuring that every concern is investigated thoroughly and objectively, no matter how frustrating doing so can sometimes be.

Try these techniques to get the best out of each type of employee and engage them in your reporting:

For the silent worker, the recluse, create an environment that encourages open communication without fear of retribution. For the occasional critic, the respected, reinforce the value of their input to help maintain and increase their engagement. For the constant complainer, the reviler, filter through the noise to identify legitimate concerns, as their constant vigilance can often uncover genuine safety hazards that others are more inclined to overlook.

Elevate Your Reporting Culture

Building a robust safety culture requires more than just having reporting mechanisms in place. It involves careful, constant nurturing of an atmosphere in which every staff member feels responsible for safety and is encouraged to speak up without fear of reprisal.

Consider elevating your reporting culture through:

• Leadership commitment: Every leader in the organization must embrace open safety reporting and demand the same from every supervisor and direct report. They should routinely demonstrate this commitment in words and deeds, leaving no doubt that reporting safety issues is vital not only to the safety and security of every employee but also to the survival of the company.
• Safety training and workshops: Regular training must emphasize the importance of reporting and teach employees how to recognize and report potential hazards.
• Recognition programs: Acknowledging and rewarding proactive safety reporting reinforces the value we place on our employees’ contributions to safety. Consider implementing a program that incentivizes continual reporting of perceived hazardous conditions or behaviors.

Achieving Reporting Nirvana

Ultimately, fostering a culture in which every employee feels not only empowered but obligated to report safety issues, and making sure each report is taken seriously, is fundamental to establishing trust, preventing accidents, and ensuring your organization’s long-term success and safety. Ignoring or undervaluing reports, even from the most vocal and challenging employees, can have dire consequences.

Recognizing and acting on valuable insights from all employees, regardless of how they are delivered, is essential for maintaining one of the most challenging but vital elements of an advanced safety culture—pure, unfiltered, transparent reporting.

Ready to Power Up Your Safety Reporting?

VAI, in partnership with the Air Charter Safety Foundation, offers VAI members exclusive access to the FAA’s Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), a user-friendly, voluntary operator reporting program. ASAP provides third-party facilitation, issue tracking, and corrective-action support to mitigate hazards and prevent accidents. To learn more, go to verticalavi.org/asap.

Chris Hill is VAI’s senior director of safety.