Ensure Safety Citizenship Behaviour

Safety is the state of being ultimately safe. The concept of safety at work setting was originated in course of historic labour movement during the industrial revolution in   18th century. The environment free from risk is perceived as a safe work climate. In aviation, safety is the most significant issue. Aviation job setting is perceived as a highly sensitive because slight deviation in their performance leads to terrible consequences. Generally, the poor actions of employees lead to certain occurrences at workplace. The frequency of occurrences results in incident, impacting aviation job prospect. The national and international media coverage of such accidents finally determines the image of the nation. At that point, safety becomes our common need and responsibility.

No shortcut safety first is the global slogan in aviation field. Global aviation activities are guided, coordinated and regulated by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) through the development of strategic policies and standards. The ICAO has recently imparted a comprehensive strategic plan for 'Safe Skies & Sustainable Future' in aviation. A total of 193 nations affiliated to the ICAO are collaborating for global aviation safety with the aim of zero fatality in air transportation by 2030. For that purpose, aviation professionals need to secure errorless job performance and ensure ample awareness of safety among professionals, passengers and general public by developing Safety Citizenship Behaviour (SCB).

Pro-social behaviour

Safety citizenship behaviour is perceived as an extra role behaviour of employees besides their organisationally defined formal job duties. It is a pro-social behaviour perceived as an essential factor for maintaining safety. Safety citizenship behaviours are the voluntary activities of employees and people towards safety like helping subordinates and others, taking initiation for improving safety and positive actions towards safety, voicing for safety, reporting unsafe acts, civic virtue and proposing administrable change for safety. 

The aviation industry not only poses a significant base for national economy but also enriches the global economic and touristic activities. Therefore, safe, secure, efficient and sustainable air transportation at national and global level is essential. Basically, air transportation is perceived as the fastest and safest mode of travel but ICAO safety report, 2024 revealed that many aviation employees and passengers are killed by accidents. Safety citizenship behaviours are the most important participative behaviours that finally supports workplace safety and prevent accidents in aviation job setting.

In aviation standard, core professionals accurately perceive the associated risks and professionals with high safety citizenship behaviour mostly concerned with the wellbeing of team members and passengers by maintaining safety. Professionals having poor safety citizenship are found associated with indiscipline, attitude of complacency, carelessness and over-confidence which finally results in dearth of safety. 

Humans are prone to making mistake. Like general human being, aviation professionals possess psychological elements like fear, anger, sorrow, jealousy, joy, wonder, love, hate etc. attitudes, values, aspirations, cognitions and different personality orientation. They generally take decisions on the basis of approved regulations, procedures and knowledge based on standard practices in aviation, but in emergency or critical situations their psychological capital affects their decision making. Poor psychological capital are associated with poor decision making. For the rational or errorless decision making in critical situations, they need high level of emotional intelligence, situational awareness resilience, safety citizenship behaviour and airmanship. Safety citizenship boosts airmanship among aviation professionals.

Aviation professionals are the direct members of aviation industry and passengers are the consumers who are indirectly affiliated to it. We are all affiliated with this industry directly or indirectly. Therefore, aviation safety is the joint moral responsibility of all concerned and we all need to exhibit safety citizenship behaviour for being a part of this industry. 

Safety citizenship behaviour helps establish safety culture that focuses on the importance of safety values, attitudes and beliefs shared by the members of the industry. Safety citizenship behaviour plays an important role in reducing workplace hazards. Therefore, aviation professionals must pay considerable attention towards developing safety citizenship behaviour among their employees and stakeholders by establishing better safety management processes.

Motivation 

Safety citizenship can be developed by enhancing respectful, trustable and healthy relationship among aviation stakeholders. Safety citizenship is strongly associated with leadership. Leading is about motivating employees and public for a greater good in the field. Leaders concern about the welfare and wellbeing of employees and public finally motivates them towards safety citizenship behaviours especially in high consequence industries like aviation.

Safety citizenship can be developed through a standard practice for managing risks, increasing the level of emotional intelligence, fostering the positive work attitude, maintaining trustable relationship among stakeholders and ensuring supportive leadership. We need to provide trainings and education for maintainers of aircraft and other equipment, as well as for infrastructure developer, aviation personnel, passengers and public for safety citizenship behaviour for the continuous improvement of aviation safety in Nepal.

(Mishra is pursuing Ph.D. on human factor at Tribhuvan University.)