Safety I vs. Safety II: A New Perspective on Aviation Safety

In the ever-evolving field of aviation, safety is the cornerstone upon which all operations are built. Historically, the industry has relied on a traditional safety model, known as Safety I, to prevent accidents and incidents. However, a more recent approach, known as Safety II, has emerged, offering a different perspective on how safety can be managed and improved. In this article, we will explore the differences between Safety I and Safety II, and why both models are essential for maintaining and enhancing safety in aviation.

Understanding Safety I: The Traditional Approach

Safety I is the conventional safety model that has been the foundation of aviation safety practices for decades. The focus of Safety I is on what goes wrong and how to prevent it. This model operates under the assumption that safety is achieved by reducing the number of adverse events, such as accidents, incidents, and errors.

Key characteristics of Safety I include:

• Reactive Approach: Safety I is often reactive, meaning it focuses on investigating accidents and incidents after they occur to understand their causes and prevent recurrence.
• Root Cause Analysis: This approach relies heavily on identifying and eliminating the root causes of failures. The goal is to find out what went wrong and ensure it doesn’t happen again.
• Compliance and Regulations: Safety I emphasize strict adherence to regulations, procedures, and standards as a means of preventing errors and accidents.
• Focus on Human Error: Human error is often seen as a primary cause of safety failures in this model. Efforts are made to minimize these errors through training, procedures, and technology.

While Safety I have been highly effective in reducing accidents and improving overall safety, it has limitations. By focusing mainly on failures and what goes wrong, it can overlook the importance of understanding how things go right.

Introducing Safety II: A New Paradigm

Safety II represents a shift in thinking about safety, emphasizing what goes right rather than focusing solely on preventing what goes wrong. This model recognizes that complex systems, like those in aviation, often succeed because of the adaptive capabilities of individuals and teams, even in the face of challenging or unexpected situations.

Key characteristics of Safety II include:

• Proactive Approach: Safety II is proactive, aiming to understand and enhance everyday operations to ensure things go right consistently.
• Resilience Engineering: This approach emphasizes the ability of organizations and individuals to adapt to changing conditions and unforeseen challenges.
• Focus on Success: Instead of concentrating solely on errors, Safety II looks at how successful operations are achieved, understanding the factors that contribute to normal and safe performance.
• Systems Thinking: Safety II views safety within the context of complex systems, recognizing that safety is a dynamic and emergent property rather than just the absence of accidents.

By focusing on the conditions that enable success, Safety II aims to build a more resilient and adaptive safety culture. This approach not only prevents failures but also enhances overall system performance by fostering a deeper understanding of how success is achieved.

Safety I vs. Safety II: A Comparative Analysis

Aspect	Safety I	Safety II
Focus	What goes wrong	What goes right
Approach	Reactive	Proactive
Human Error	Seen as a cause of failures	Seen as a contributor to both success and failure
Safety Measures	Compliance, procedures, eliminating errors	Enhancing adaptability, learning from successes
Goal	Prevent accidents and incidents	Ensure things go right consistently
System View	Linear, cause-effect relationships	Complex, emergent properties of systems

Why Both Safety I and Safety II Are Important

Both Safety I and Safety II play crucial roles in maintaining and improving safety in aviation. Safety I provide the foundation by ensuring that known risks are managed and that compliance with regulations is maintained. It is essential for preventing known types of accidents and incidents.

Safety II, on the other hand, offers a complementary perspective by addressing the complexity of modern aviation operations. It acknowledges that not all situations can be anticipated or controlled through procedures alone. By fostering resilience and understanding successful operations, Safety II helps organizations prepare for the unexpected and improve their overall safety performance.

Implementing Safety I and Safety II in Aviation

For aviation maintenance organizations like Ras Technic, implementing both Safety I and Safety II is crucial for achieving a holistic safety strategy. This involves:

• Integrating Traditional and Modern Practices: While adhering to regulatory requirements (Safety I), organizations should also cultivate a culture that encourages adaptability and continuous learning (Safety II).
• Training and Education: Providing training that covers both the technical aspects of compliance and the skills needed for adaptability and resilience.
• Encouraging Reporting and Learning: Developing systems that encourage reporting of both failures and successes, and using this information to drive continuous improvement.

Conclusion

At RAS Technic, we recognize the importance of both Safety I and Safety II in our operations. By combining the strengths of traditional safety practices with the insights of modern safety thinking, we aim to create a resilient and adaptive safety culture that not only prevents accidents but also ensures consistent and reliable performance.