Aer Lingus 2011 Annual Report Download - page 30

Annual Report 2011
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SAFETY AND SECURITY STATEMENT Aer Lingus Group Plc
Aer Lingus participates in a number of International Air Safety
Organisations including; European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA),
European Commercial Aircraft Safety Team (ECAST), International Air
Transport Association (IATA), International Air Carrier Association
(IACA), the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) Safety Management Working
Group, the United Kingdom Flight Safety Committee (UKFSC), the
Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), the UK Flight Data Monitoring Forum
and the National Bird Hazard Committee. Through its involvement
with the international aviation community, Aer Lingus enhances its
safety awareness by means of information sharing, ensuring that at all
times the Group is fully compliant with international best practice in
the safety arena.
Board Committee on Safety
The Board has a Safety Committee, which assists the Board in
discharging its responsibility for safety, including ensuring that
adequate safety regulations and procedures are in place across the
Group, that such regulations and procedures are complied with and
reviewed from time to time, and also ensuring that appropriate
procedures are in place so that any crisis or accident can be properly
managed.
In this role they meet at least quarterly with the Chief Executive
Officer, the Safety Manager and the Corporate Health & Safety
Advisor, to be appraised of safety performance and developments
within the organisation.
Health and Safety
The Company maintains a well established Health and Safety Office,
which focuses on workplace safety, health and welfare. Under the
direction of the Corporate Health & Safety Advisor, who co-ordinates
the implementation of health and safety policy across the Group, the
office also regularly reviews and develops policy. The Health and
Safety Office focuses on accident prevention via a hazard and risk
assessment programme. The health and safety officers run a continuous
programme of health and safety training in consultation with line
departments, advising departments on development of health and
safety and manages incident reporting and occupational accident
investigation procedures.
It is Aer Lingus policy to have as a constant objective the creation and
maintenance of a safe working environment for its staff and the Group
has a Safety Statement, based on compliance with all relevant
legislation and regulations, which specifies how this should be
implemented. Annual reviews are carried out to ensure compliance
and system effectiveness. Aer Lingus Health and Safety personnel are
members of a number of safety organisations including; Institution of
Occupational Safety and Health, The International Air Transport
Section of the US National Safety Council, and the Aviation Ground
Safety Council (UK). In addition, the Group operates an Employee
Assistance Programme (EAP), which is a resource that provides
education to staff on matters pertaining to health and information to
facilitate improved attendance management.
Quality Assurance
The Quality Management System provides regulatory compliance
oversight of both technical and operational activities, as well as all
third party and partner airline contracts. In 2011, Aer Lingus
restructured its quality oversight management structure, appointing a
Quality Manager with overall responsibility for the airline’s compliance
monitoring programme. It performs the oversight and internal audit
function of Aer Lingus and contracted organisations in order to comply
with the requirements of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), European
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EU-Ops legislation. The Quality
Manager also coordinates Aer Lingus’ association with the International
Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit programme
(IOSA).
Security
Aer Lingus ensures that staff are made aware of the need for a high
level of security at all times. The Group’s Corporate Security Office
acts in an advisory and consultative capacity in relation to all aspects of
security and provides management with general guidelines in relation
to security and loss prevention. The aim of aviation security is to
protect passengers, crew, staff, and members of the public and civil
aviation in general from acts of unlawful interference. Aer Lingus
ensures that both directly employed staff, handling agents and
contracted agencies are made aware of the need for a high level of
security at all times. Aer Lingus achieves this aim by compliance with
all aviation security statutory and regulatory requirements in
jurisdictions where operations are undertaken. We fully co-operate
with law enforcement agencies and adopt a proactive approach to the
development of best practice in all areas of aviation security.
Aer Lingus continues to ensure its Disruptive Passenger Policy is
followed. This policy has been made available to all staff and handling
agents to minimise disruption to passengers and prevent and detect
behaviour that causes discomfort, inconvenience or injury to other
passengers or the crew.
The Aer Lingus Air Carrier Security Plan (ACSP) is subject to regular
audit by the Department of Transport.