See report B98/90 - `Systemic investigation into factors
underlying air safety occurrences in Sydney Terminal Area
airspace'.
The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation recommends that
Airservices Australia ensure that adequate refresher training is
undertaken by controllers in order to provide for high levels of
proficiency and standardisation and so that the integrity of safety
cases, in which refresher training is deemed to be a mitigating
strategy for identified hazards, is maintained.
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.
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.
R980158 Airservices Australia to ensure that adequate refresher
training is undertaken by controllers in order to provide for high
levels of controller proficiency and standardisation and that the
integrity safety Cases, in which refresher training is deemed to be
a mitigation strategy for identified hazards, is maintained.
Airservices provides familiarisation training in various forms
before the introduction of new procedures and to maintain
controller skill levels. This ongoing programme has been augmented
by an additional period of refresher training which all TCU
controllers will undertake during the remainder of this year.
The following correspondence was forwarded to Airservices
Australia on 4 January 1999:
The Bureau requests that confirmation of the proposed additional
refresher training is provided when it has been completed. The
intent of the recommendation clearly indicates that refresher
training should be integral to the change process and ongoing. The
Bureau therefore requests that Airservices confirm whether the
additional refresher training referred to in the response to this
recommendation is part of a wider and more comprehensive approach
to refresher training or if it is simply a 'one-off'
exercise.
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:
Recommendation R980158 was advised as "Closed - partially
accepted". The following is provided as amplification of
Airservices' position:
"Airservices Australia ensure that adequate refresher training is
undertaken by controllers in order to provide for high levels of
controller proficiency and standardisation and so that the
integrity of safety cases, in which refresher training is deemed to
be a mitigating strategy for identified hazards, is
maintained."
Sydney Operations (Airservices Commercial Operations Group) has
developed a "Generic Refresher Training Manual". The manual has
been implemented and is used for the " ... management and
standardisation of refresher training undertaken by controllers in
the Sydney TCU."
Currently, refresher training takes place in a number of ways
e.g., through simulation, CBT, classroom, discussion groups, team
days, and individual refresher training.
It is planned during the fiscal year cycle for 1999/2000 that each
operational controller be allocated either 4 days cyclical training
(TCU Controllers) or 2 days (Tower Controllers). The purpose of
this training allocation is to update skills and provide an
opportunity to simulate seldom used procedures.
Presently TAAATS conversion training is in progress so it will be
in the latter part of the planning cycle that this cyclical
training will be implemented. However, it should be noted that
refresher training of LTOP procedures etc. is inherent in TAAATS
training.
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.
R19980158 - The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation recommends that
Airservices Australia ensure that adequate refresher training is
undertaken by controllers in order to provide for high levels of
proficiency and standardisation and so that the integrity of safety
cases, in which refresher training is deemed to be a mitigating
strategy for identified hazards, is maintained.
ATSB RESPONSE STATUS: CLOSED-ACCEPTED
The Bureau proposes to monitor the implementation and effect of
the initiatives outlined in the Airservices response.
