What the building sector can learn from Aviation safety

A high-rise residential building, firmly anchored to the ground, is inherently safer than a winged-metal tube with many rotating parts being propelled through the sky. However, there are many interesting parallels to draw from the safety management of the latter to the safety management of the former. We have all seen the tragedy that can unfold when failings in compliance, risk awareness and safety management are allowed to continue unchecked.

Civil aviation safety has matured over decades from the Comet disasters, through the Tenerife accident and the subsequent development of human factors to more nuanced improvements in risk management and safety theories. For military aviators, their Grenfell occurred in 2006 with the catastrophic loss of RAF Nimrod MR2 Aircraft XV230 in Afghanistan. 

In his review into the broader issues surrounding the loss of the aircraft, Charles Haddon-Cave QC cited multiple failings, from the initial design flaws, poor risk analysis of modifications and inadequate response to pre-cursor events. He lambasts the aircraft safety case, describing it as a lamentable job from start to finish, riddled with errors and missing the key dangers. He calls its production a story of incompetence, complacency, and cynicism.

As a result of the report, a massive overhaul of the management of the safety of military aviation took place, in much the same way that the HSE is doing now with the advent of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). All aircraft are required to have a through-life safety case, from conception to disposal. Both industries recognize how important it is to analyze and understand how the individual weaknesses in a system can coalesce and have unforeseen ramifications far beyond their perceived significance, when each is simply viewed in isolation. 

This is the premise of a safety case; creating a holistic view that incorporates all the disparate elements into one coherent argument as to why the building, or aircraft, is safe.

We recognize that for the construction and building management sector, the new regulation is a huge culture shift. Principle accountable people and duty holders will now be held accountable for the safety of the building, as they are for an air system. 

The time frame in which to comply with the transition to the new regime is short and guidance from the regulator is still being matured – the extent of the job of creating safety cases for every HRB should not be underestimated. 

If you are facing this challenge, please come and speak to us. With over 30 years of collective experience of Safety Cases and Safety Management Systems, coupled with our bespoke digital safety case tool, we can help you untangle the problem and guide you to success.