16 Canadian Occupational Safety | www.cos-mag.com
SAFEST
OF THEM ALL
THE
J
azz Airlines passengers who look through the windows
of an airport terminal will see a great deal of activity.
Ramp agents load and unload luggage and cargo, drive
ground equipment and marshal aircraft during arrival
and departure. Maintenance employees inspect
propellers, fuel tanks and wings. Flight crews huddle to
review their flight plans, discuss the safety briefing and
conduct pre-flight checks.
What passengers do not see is a highly effective system
of safety processes, policies, procedures and training
behind the operations in this fleet of 117 aircraft servi-
cing 73 destinations in Canada and the United States.
The all-inclusive safety management system has proven to be a grounding force
for an organization whose business revolves around defying gravity, according
to Bob Palmer, vice-president of safety, quality and environment at Jazz Airlines,
which is headquartered in Enfield, N.S.
While safety accountability starts with president Colin Copp, it is ingrained
in the DNA of the entire organization.
"Every department owns safety — and employees consider themselves safety
professionals whose common goal is to mitigate hazards," says Palmer.
The reporting culture and safety record have stood strong recently in the face
of significant employee turnover, particularly pilots. The airline has also made
strides toward overcoming the challenges of managing safety for a disparate
workforce of 7,500 employees scattered across the country, and incorporating
local and regional differences into the national framework.
One of the key elements of the system's success is a confidential, non-punitive
reporting mechanism posted on the Jazz intranet. Employees always get responses
to reports, can request face time with various investigators or managers and are
TRANSPORTATION
GOLD
SILVER
Voyageur
Transportation
Services
By Amanda Silliker, Linda Johnson, E. Lisa Moses and Marcel Vander Wier
EMPLOYERS SAFEST
2017 CANADA'S
SILVER
Westcan
Bulk
Transport
