See report B98/90 - `Systemic Investigation into factors
underlying air safety occurrences in the Sydney Terminal Area
airspace'.
The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation recommends that
Airservices Australia review its change management procedures and
the program for change leading up the Olympics. The review should
ensure that safety is not compromised to meet project schedules or
perecieved community imperatives.
I refer to your letter of 14 August 1998 concerning the Bureau
of Air Safety Investigation (BASI) report on operations in the
Sydney terminal airspace area (Investigation Report B98/90).
The report was initially considered by the Board Safety and
Environment Committee on 14 August 1998, the day the report was
formally issued by Government. Subsequently, the BASI report was
considered at the full Board Meeting, held on 21 August 1998.
The Board and Management of Airservices are affording priority
consideration to the BASI recommendations and findings. We will
work closely with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in assessing
the actions necessary to address the recommendations and findings
of the BASI report.
I will write again shortly, when the specific action plans are
developed.
Airservices Australia continuously monitors the introduction of
new procedures and processes to ensure that the operational impact
of that change is well managed. Whilst acknowledging this
recommendation it must be recognised that, from time to time,
changes to procedures will be necessary.
The program of change in Sydney has been extensively reviewed with
changes prioritised to ensure that safety is not compromised whilst
maintaining an implementation schedule. For example: training for
TAAATS transition has been postponed until March 1999 and the
Sydney Long Term Operating Plan (ELTOP) Mode 8 has been deferred
until mid 1999 whilst Mode 6A has been deferred until late
1999.
The Bureau responded on 4 January 1999 as follows:
The Bureau does not consider that this response adequately
addresses the recommendation. The delay of the introduction to some
of the proposed changes to Sydney terminal area procedures may be
manifestations too the adjustments of the previous change
management process. However, no information has been provide to
explain how Airservices "reviewed" the change management procedures
in place at the time of the report, nor was any information
provided about what processes and mechanisms are now in place to
ensure that the change management process is sufficiently robust to
detect safety deficiencies and ensure that safety is not
compromised in the future.
I am writing to provide a response to the BASI Systemic Review
of Airservices' operations at Sydney Airport and subsequent
investigations which have resulted in recommendations correlated
with that review.
Airservices has previously responded to the following
recommendations and has been advised that BASI has accepted those
responses and closed off any further action:
R980157
R980160
R980163
The following is a precis of the action Airservices is undertaking
in response to the remaining outstanding recommendations:
R980156
Airservices Australia review its change management procedures and
the program for change leading up to the Olympics. The review
should ensure that safety is not compromised to meet project
schedules or perceived community imperatives."
The agenda for change is set during the business planning cycle and
updated as operational requirements change. To increase the
integrity of the change process a new management structure has been
established, which includes a Quality Manager. Safety initiatives
undertaken include the:
- establishment of a Safety Panel whose major task is to review and
direct action on recommendations,
- conduct of structured safety management training approved by the
Directorate of Safety and Standards,
- development of a new "Request for Change" process which is more
user friendly, and has a clearer structured sign-off process,
- flow of information on changes to our staff through promulgation
of Team Briefs to staff by Sydney Operations Management Team and
more structured Team Days.
- plan of action to give access to all staff of the Local and
Temporary and Management Instructions through the Airservices
AVNET.
- establishment of Safety Cases and Post Implementation Reviews
whose outcomes will be reflected in the "Request for Change"
process.
The Bureau wrote to Airservices Australia on 17 December 1999
stating that the Bureau had classified the latest Airservices
response as CLOSED-ACCEPTED but that the Bureau would monitor the
implementation and effect of the initiatives outlined in that
response.
