The paper is based on the publication of Dipl. Ing Karoly Obrecht and Dr. Bernhard Rüger: FEHLERKULTUR BEI EISENBAHNEN – NOTWENDIGKEIT UND CHANCE ZUR ERHÖHUNG DER SICHERTHEIT in Eisenbahn Technische Rundschau, ETR, Juni 2018, p. 42, eurailpress, DVV Media Group, Hamburg, Germany, ISSN 0013-2845.
At the centre of the modern proactive, precautionary and generative culture of error and risk management culture in transport corporations stands the thought that errors, mishaps and accidents (unwanted bad events) are components and an integral part of any actions and learning’s. The vision of “Zero Accidents” in transport environment cannot be reached, and therefore, it has to be regarded as an illusion.
A positive working atmosphere and trust in the management of the company are essential for employees to be willing to voluntarily report in order to support the new error culture. A pronounced hierarchical structure in a company is usually a big obstacle in establishing a new trust-based generative error culture.
Unfortunately, railway companies with their rigid structures and established cultures are often 10 years behind aviation industries when it comes to introducing modern human error, risk and accident management methods and a new modern proactive, precautionary and generative culture of error, risk and accident management. The good experience and successes in safety management of aviation industries and operators with an open and proactive safety culture can be used to the advantage of railway operators.
Risk is the product of probability that an incident will occur and the impact that it will have. It is impossible to have a zero probability. An all encompassing information system about near errors, near missed accidents and prevailing unsafe conditions must be at disposal.
The data as a basis for safety management are generated through a voluntary and anonymous reporting, notification and information system. Conditions have to be provided that errors and prevailing unsafe conditions can be reported without reservations and sanctions.
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