The Nigerian Air Force has trained its officers, airmen/airwomen of operational, engineering, medical and other support arms and units under the Special Operations Command, Bauchi on how to avoid errors that could lead to accidents.
The Air Officer Commanding Special Operations Command, Air Vice Marshal Charles Ohwo, who declared the safety Seminar with the theme, “Good Domestic Safety Culture, a Panacea for a Behavioural Change towards NAF Operational Efficiency,” open as very timely and apt.
According to him, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao, directed the Command to hold the seminar in view of the recent happenings in the country.
He said: “The objective of this Seminar is to expose those errors that can lead to accidents so that we, as an organisation, can implement specialized training, auditing and safety measures to preserve our personnel and materiel.
“The resources involved in the training of our personnel and procurement of the Nigerian Air Forces assets are huge. It is on this premise and the recent incidences that the NAF has witnessed of late, that the CAS directed that we should first look at our homes and environment hence this seminar on Domestic Safety.”
Ohwo charged the participants to be innovative and go beyond the normal norms to ensure that safety is guaranteed.
“Studies have shown that when a safety culture is developed in an organisation, employee productivity significantly increases, and organisational costs noticeably decrease.
“The obvious and the main benefit lies in enhancing operational efficiency which is in line with the Chief of the Air Staff’s Vision,” he said.
According to him, the Safety Seminar 2021 is the third since the inception of the Command in 2016 and has grown to 17 units spread across 13 locations.
In his welcome address, the Command Operation Officer and Acting Command Evaluation Officer, Air Commodore Francis Ankeli, said the Seminar was intended to encourage commanders to seek a practicable approach in ensuring best practices in the field.
“Likewise, Pilots, Engineers, Regiment personnel, technicians, Medical, Air Traffic Controllers and all other support personnel are required to acquaint themselves with the best global practices in enhancing safety standards and fostering safety culture.
“This Seminar is designed primarily to expose us to those errors that could cause domestic accidents and invariably impede the productivity of pilots, operators, maintenance crew, Regiment and support personnel.
“When we know the sources and causes of accidents, we would protect ourselves and our assets against accidents and thus enhancing our safety and operations in the NAF,” he stated.
According to the United Kingdom Health and Safety Commission, organisations with a positive safety culture are characterized by communications founded on mutual trust, by shared perceptions of the importance of safety and by confidence in the efficacy of preventive measures.