“Welcome aboard and thanks for flying with us. We’re committed to making your flight safe and comfortable so, before we depart, we’ll be showing a brief safety presentation.”
“This information can help you if there’s an emergency so it is important to pay close attention even if you are a frequent flyer.”
We know what follows, we’ve seen it a million times. The collective conscious of all those onboard emits an inaudible sigh. The airlines, however, refuse to relent on this pre-flight safety amble.
Why do they insist on riling up their customers? Either they are really antisocial or they know what they are doing. We’ll go for the latter.
Have a safe flight
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist – or a pilot – to tell you why the airlines hammer home the same safety message every time. It is actually very simple. They do so to embed key safety messages in the minds of travellers.
As with the high hazard sector, accidents don’t happen everyday. It is when an incident occurs though, that training gaps become apparent with greenhouse transparency.
By instilling safety messages – just like the airlines – we fuel individuals with knowledge about how best to respond. In the throes of an event, then, the training means we are much more likely to take the right actions.
This can save lives.
Muscle memory
Like a world class boxer, in-flight safety drills reinforce ‘muscle memory’. This enables what are initially unnatural manoeuvres to gradually become a reflex.
In the high hazard sector, we can take a page out of the airlines’ safety books. There is, of course, no such thing as a perfect health and safety procedure. Companies must therefore regularly evaluate their safety culture and performance, continually improving resources to enhance key skills and knowledge around process safety.
This means embedding key safety messages into the minds of workers day in, day out. As with an in-flight safety demonstration, it is the accumulation of these minutes that mean, should an event occur, workers have a better chance of responding accordingly.
The weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds. We hope you enjoyed travelling with us. Be safe.
Related reading:
- British Lung Foundation launches asbestos safety campaign
- Best process safety quotes of 2013
- Guide to Process Safety Leadership PSLG Principles
- Peeling back the layers of protection
- UK press “mocks” health and safety says HSE chair
- 5 things employers should know about oil and gas workers
- Free personal protective equipment training for your site
