Recommendation

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.

R 980159 Airservices Australia reassess the human factors analysis for both Stage One and Stage Two of the LTOP Safety Cases so that the mitigating strategies applied to identified hazards adequately allows for the fundamental limitations of human performance. In reassessing this hazard analysis, BAS1 recommends that Airservices Australia seek the assistance of human performance expertise.

The LTOP Stage One and Stage Two Safety Cases have been subject to review by independent experts in the field as well as being the subject of a number of post implementation reviews. Recommendations arising from those review have been progressively evaluated and applied as appropriate.

Airservices will consider augmenting its review processes with human factors expertise in 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:

"R980159

Airservices Australia reassess the human factor hazard analysis for both Stage One and Stage Two of the L TOP safety cases so that the mitigating strategies applied to identified hazards adequately allow for the fundamental limitations of human performance. In reassessing this hazard analysis, BASI recommends that Airservices Australia seek the assistance of human performance expertise."

Airservices has engaged a Human Factors expert to carry out a study within the Sydney environment which will provide guidance and advice on the following key issues:

1. An identification of the major procedure and environmental changes in the work of Air Traffic Controllers in Sydney since March 1995.
2. In the context of the normally expected and assessed skill levels of ATCs generally:
- an assessment of the likely effects on controllers work performance brought about by the assimilation of the identified changes.
- a broad inventory of the knowledge required by individual controllers in connection with the day to day operations the current and planned implementation of the LTOP.
- advice as to the appropriateness of the current rating, endorsement and currency requirements for controllers.
- advice on the effectiveness of the training programs employed to effect the changes including any refresher programs and briefings conducted.

Sydney Operations has proposed a meeting with the ATSB to
discuss the concerns identified in the letter. This was agreed
verbally on 28 January and further contact to arrange the meeting
details will follow. At your request, the ATSB Human Factors
specialist will attend the meeting as it is intended that the
meeting will include the consultant tasked by Airservices to
address Human Factors in the Sydney environment.