CRM Chapter 1 + 2

Origins of CRM

• CRM was first called Cockpit Resource Management (CRM) when officially implemented at United Airlines in the late 1970s.

Firefighter Safety

• The primary cause of firefighter fatalities is identified as human error and behavioral mistakes.
• Effective safety programs need to address human factors and organizational aspects in addition to technical aspects.
• Firefighters' salvation when all other tools fail is often their personal protective equipment (PPE).

Theory of Risk Homeostasis

• The Theory of Risk Homeostasis is related to the concept that individuals and organizations tend to maintain a constant level of risk, despite safety measures.

Limitations of Safety Programs

• Telling firefighters to 'be safe' is problematic as it oversimplifies the complexity of safety and ignores the role of human factors.
• CRM's main focus in firefighting is to address human factors and improve teamwork and communication.

Information Dismissal

• People sometimes dismiss new information in firefighting due to cognitive biases and the tendency to rely on past experiences.

Wildland Firefighter Safety

• The Wildland Firefighter Safety Awareness Study aimed to improve wildland firefighter safety by identifying and addressing safety gaps.

Aviation Industry

• The aviation industry associated human error with accidents, leading to the development of CRM.
• The three components of the Tripod of Success are People, Plan, and Process.

Tripod of Success

• Strengthening the 'People' leg of the Tripod of Success impacts the 'Plan' leg by improving decision-making and reducing errors.

Firefighting Operations

• An unexpected event requiring high levels of interaction and teamwork during firefighting operations can lead to a high-risk situation.

Swiss Cheese Model

• The Swiss Cheese model represents the concept of error trapping and experience, where 'holes' in defenses can lead to accidents.
• As firefighters gain experience, the size of 'holes' in the Swiss Cheese model decreases.

Safety Programs vs. Safety Culture

• A safety program is a set of rules and procedures, while a safety culture is a shared mindset and attitude towards safety.

Tri-Data Study

• Phase III of the Tri-Data study emphasized the importance of understanding the wildland firefighting environment in preventing accidents.

Incidents vs. Accidents

• Incidents are near-misses, while accidents result in harm or damage.

Safety Culture Limitations

• A potential limitation of the current safety program mentality is that it focuses on compliance rather than a culture of safety.

Human Factors Training

• Implementing human factors training in the commercial aviation industry led to a significant reduction in accidents.

CRM Effectiveness

• CRM works effectively in high-reliability organizations that prioritize safety and teamwork.

Barriers to Safety Culture

• The biggest barrier to implementing a safety culture is often a lack of leadership commitment.

CRM Objectives

• CRM aims to achieve error prevention by addressing human factors and improving decision-making.

Adoption Barriers

• The biggest impediment to adopting a safety culture in departments without one is often the absence of a clear safety vision.

Creating a Safety Culture

• A crucial step in creating a culture of safety is to establish a clear safety vision and leadership commitment.
• Cowboys are those who disregard safety in the aviation industry.
• CRM is considered a perfect tool for meeting the goal of error avoidance, detection, and management in an organization.

Five Steps to a Safety Culture

• Five important steps in creating a safety culture are:
  • Establish a clear safety vision
  • Encourage open communication and reporting
  • Implement human factors training
  • Foster a just culture
  • Continuously monitor and evaluate safety performance