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 the application of the "teams" concept
within the Sydney Terminal Control Unit to ensure that teams are
resourced appropriately and that there is an ongoing commitment to
the provision of adequate training in order to achieve a high level
of controller proficiency and standardisation.
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.
The following correspondence was forwarded to Airservices
Australia on 4 January 1999:
R980157 - Airservices Australia review the application of the
'teams' concept within the Sydney Terminal Control Unit to ensure
that teams are resourced appropriately and that there is an ongoing
commitment to the provision of adequate training in order to
achieve a high level of controller proficiency and
standardisation.
Response classification: CLOSED-ACCEPTED
The Bureau requests that confirmation of the proposed changes, in
response to this recommendation, is provided following the
implementation of those changes. In addition, information on any
proposed changes arising from the external consultant's review of G
supervision within ATS and its application within teams' would be
appreciated.
The following correspondence was forwarded to Airservices
Australia on 17 December 1999:
Thank you for your response, dated 9 June 1999, in which you
detailed action taken in response to recommendations related to the
systemic investigation of factors underlying air safety occurrences
in Sydney terminal airspace. The following comment on each response
to the recommendations is provided for clarification.
R19980157 - The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation recommends that
Airservices Australia review the application of the "teams "
concept within the Sydney Terminal Control Unit to ensure that
teams are resourced appropriately and that there is an ongoing
commitment to the provision of adequate training in order to
achieve a high level of controller proficiency and
standardisation.
Response classification: CLOSED-ACCEPTED
Although the Bureau accepted the Airservices response to this
recommendation, confirmation of proposed changes as advised by
Airservices in 13 November 1998 correspondence, was requested.
While the Bureau has received informal advice from the Manager
Sydney Operations on 8 August 1999, no formal advice has been
received to date. In addition, it is understood that an external
consultant conducted a review of 'supervision within air traffic
services and its application to teams' which was undertaken partly
in response to R 19980157. A copy of the report on that review and
any actions taken on recommendations contained in that report would
be appreciated. In order to finalise this matter, the Bureau
requests that further advice be provided at your earliest
convenience.
I am writing in response to the BASI report on the Investigation
of Systemic Safety Issues at Sydney Airport.
The attached response provides details on Airservices ongoing
actions to address the recommendations. Airservices is working
closely with CASA to resolve the issues of mutual concern.
I must stress that this process is being approached with caution
and planning to ensure minimal disruption to the safe and efficient
operations of Sydney Airport.
Airservices will provide you with further reports on progress in
due course.
R980157 Airservices Australia to review the application of the
"teams" concept with Sydney Terminal Control Unit to ensure that
teams are resources appropriately and that there is an ongoing
commitment to the provision of adequate training in order to
achieve a high level of controller proficiency and
standardisation.
A recent review of Sydney ATS has resulted in a "spill" of all
management positions and a subsequent recruitment program which
will be completed by 16 November 1998 to coincide with the
Airservices' Business Transformation program.
The first step in this review has been to ensure that the
management structure of the facility can operate effectively and
that appropriate skills are available within the team. The manner
in which the teams operate is the subject of a concurrent review
process.
in support of these reviews, a consultant has completed a wide
ranging review of "supervision" within air traffic services and its
application within Teams.
Recommendations from these studies will be introduced into the
Sydney rostering committee deliberations examining a better
framework for TCU rosters. Sydney ATS management plan to introduce
a revised roster in the TCU by 1 February 1999.
Team Leader training is recognised as vital to the success of teams
and during October and November all Team Leaders will complete a
series of Human Factors and Team Resource training modules. To
further ensure that Team Leaders are better equipped to perform
their duties a specific training programme for each Team Leader
will be developed by 22 December 1998.
The following correspondence was forwarded to Airservices
Australia on 4 January 1999:
R980157 - Airservices Australia review the application of the
'teams' concept within the Sydney Terminal Control Unit to ensure
that teams are resourced appropriately and that there is an ongoing
commitment to the provision of adequate training in order to
achieve a high level of controller proficiency and
standardisation.
Response classification: CLOSED-ACCEPTED [ATSB Note: The
classification would be MONITOR under the current system. Monitor
did not exist at the time of this response].
The Bureau requests that confirmation of the proposed changes, in
response to this recommendation, is provided following the
implementation of those changes. In addition, information on any
proposed changes arising from the external consultant's review of G
supervision within ATS and its application within teams' would be
appreciated.
The Braithwaite "Teams Report" is being forwarded as a separate
enclosure. It should be noted that this report was done on the
whole of Airservices Australia and not just Sydney
Operations.
In addition, the Chief Operating Officer of Airservices Australia
has commissioned a "Review of Teams" which is currently being
undertaken by an external consultant. This review will be completed
by the end of February and involves extensive consultation with
controllers throughout Commercial Operations Group.
With reference to formal advice of specific actions taken to
address this recommendation the following is now advised.
1. With TAAATS Transition complete Sydney Tower Team Leader
positions have been spilled and the new positions are effective 1
February 2000. Notification has gone out to request nomintaions for
the position of TCU Team Leaders. New TCU Team Leaders are expected
to be in place in March 2000.
2. New Team Rosters are being introduced in the TMA and were
proposed for February 2000, however, the roster will now be
dependent on the "Review of Teams" report mentioned in the
preceding paragraph.
3. Sydney Operations plans to train nominated Air Traffic
Controllers to increase their skills in developing team compilation
with consideration of human factor issues, including fatigue
management. The proposed outcome is aimed at developing a more
acceptable roster for all staheholders.
4. The Teams Review Group are currently looking into the most
effective grouping of positions within teams.
