Maintenance and ramp line operations safety assessment (M&R LOSA): using a tested approach for risk management and safety enhancement

Abstract

The aviation industry is maturing in its preference for proactive intervention over post-accident remediation in potentially hazardous circumstances. Line Operations Safety Audits (LOSA) adopts a truly proactive and predictive strategy to address aviation safety. As a voluntary safety program, LOSA collects safety data during normal airline operations through peer observations in strict non-jeopardy conditions. Sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an M&R LOSA project was launched in October 2008 to capitalize on the successes of flight deck LOSA and extend it to aviation maintenance and ramp operations. The project delivered an array of open source tools, including observation data collection forms, procedures, program manuals, scenario-based training, and databases. The M&R LOSA programs are expected to positively leverage peer pressure to enforce behavior change and allow subunits of an organization to build in some flexibility to address their key problems and assure the effectiveness of safety recommendations.