This 2014 video describes the “just culture” approach adopted by Eurocontrol, the agency that supports the European air traffic management system. Improving safety implies learning from accidents or incidents so as to take appropriate action to prevent repeating them, according to the agency, and "just culture" makes for an atmosphere of trust in which people are encouraged, even rewarded, for providing essential safety-related information -- but it is one in which they are also clear about where the line is drawn between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.
Recognizing the importance of incident reporting, the agency has defined a "just culture" environment in which staff members are not punished for any action, omission, or decision taken by them that is commensurate with their experience and training. However, gross negligence, willful violations, and destructive acts are not tolerated.
If you ask most Chicagoans about their morning commute, restful and peaceful would not be words they would use to describe it. Unless their commute includes the 12-minute water taxi ride from Michigan Avenue to Union Station.
Chicago Water Taxi is rooted in the history of Wendella, a tour boat service that was founded in 1935 to provide architectural and area history tours of Chicago. In 1962, Wendella added a commuter service, known today as Chicago Water Taxi, which provides public transportation up and down the Chicago River. Some of the fleet's four boats make as many as 90 stops per day. In this video from Grainger's Everyday Heroes series, Andrew Sargis, chief of Operations for Chicago Water Taxi, says that for the commuters who use this service, it's like adding a mini vacation to the beginning and end of their day.
Sponsored by Grainger
Michelle Baxter is the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Safe Work Australia. In her video message, Baxter encourages workplaces across Australia to get involved in Safety Month this October.
Christina Holcroft, division director of Fire Analysis and Research at NFPA, gives three key findings from NFPA's 2013 Fire loss report in this September 2014 NFPA video. To read the full report, visit www.nfpa.org/fireloss.
Sponsored by National Fire Protection Association
This 2014 video shows the equipment used and topics covered in an AVO Training three-day electrical safety and hazard awareness class for McDonald's in-house technicians.
Sponsored by AVO Training Institute, Inc.
The Texas Department of Transportation opened its first roundabouts in the El Paso District on Sept. 19, 2014. The roundabouts provide a safe, continuous flow of traffic through the Alameda and Paisano intersections. These two roundabouts will relieve the increasing traffic congestion in the area.
Although "Do Not Enter" and "Wrong Way" signs already are in place along freeway off-ramps, new and larger versions of such signs have been installed and will be studied along the exit ramps at six freeway interchanges in Arizona, this July 2014 video from the Arizona Department of Transportation shows. Signs are placed lower on their posts to test whether that could help in alerting confused or impaired wrong-way drivers.
Crews also are adding pavement markers in the shape of large arrows pointing the right way along the exit ramps. Those pavement markers have reflectors to display the color red as a warning to any driver going the wrong way on a ramp. The reflectors are already in use as part of the lane markings on freeways.
The American Red Cross Blood App was released Sept. 8, 2014, and is available at http://www.redcross.org/prepare/mobile-apps.
Sponsored by American Red Cross
Thousands of lives might be saved every year as a result of a simple, low-cost innovation for motorcycle riders developed by BP's Castrol India team. It's a helmet innovation -- so if the rider doesn't wear the helmet, the motorcycle won't start.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau continues to investigate accidents—many fatal—that involve pilots flying with reduced visual references. Under visual flight rules (VFR), it is crucial that pilots have sufficient visual reference to see and avoid obstacles. Visual cues are also required to maintain orientation so VFR pilots know which way is up and can maintain control of their aircraft. Visual reference can be reduced by cloud, darkness, or atmospheric conditions such as rain, fog, smoke, or haze. Two main risks are associated with flying in limited visibility: loss of orientation, leading to loss of control of an aircraft and an uncontrolled flight into terrain; and insufficient visibility to enable a pilot to see and avoid obstacles while remaining under control, known as a controlled flight into terrain.
The same hazards can also apply during night flight because there are often fewer visual cues at night, even though the visibility may be good.