36. Memorandum submitted by Norman Hutchings
With long experience of promoting safety in
the airline industry I wish to strongly object to this proposed
legislation, on the grounds that it will undermine the successful
system we have created.
The key feature of a successful safety concious
industry is to create a natural safety culture from top to bottom.
The acceptance that human mistakes can be made, but that by open
reporting systems, and frank discussion without fear, one can
arrive at a cause rather than concentrate on blame, and by so
doing produce improved procedures.
The case for this legislation seems to rest
on the failure to achieve convictions in cases against the shipping
and railway industries. Both these industries have a lot to learn
from the airline industry in regard to safety.
Creating an atmosphere of fear of prosecution
can only inhibit the free and open discussion of errors, omissions,
and other mistakes relevent to incidents and accidents. Whenever
human beings are involved we will always have to allow for human
fallibility. Fear of punishment is not a sufficient deterrent.
A safety culture, developing sound designs and procedures is much
more likely to improve safety.
A law of corporate manslaughter can only inhibit
this process. Cases of outrageous behaviour can be dealt with
by our well proved British common law. Do not put our successful
airline safety record at risk.
16 June 2005
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