A 50-page report commissioned by the FAA and released Monday calls attention to “a disconnect between Boeing’s senior management and engineering employees regarding safety oversight.”
The report was edited and written by an independent panel of aviation experts that includes representatives from multiple airlines, labor unions, academic institutions, and component manufacturers used in Boeing commercial aircraft, and the report examines Boeing’s current safety culture. has identified multiple weaknesses in
The report examined how Boeing manages engineering employees who are responsible for internal oversight delegated to engineering teams on behalf of the FAA. The panel of experts said it observed an “inappropriate and confusing implementation” of what should have been a company-wide safety culture.
For example, Boeing officials have repeatedly said the company will address safety above all other priorities, but the report openly flags potential problems that could delay aircraft delivery or certification. It turned out that many employees were concerned about the possibility of retaliatory actions such as changes. In employee pay and furlough rankings.
How to create a report
According to the report, the panel of experts interviewed more than 250 Boeing employees at six different company locations and reviewed 4,000 pages of documents, focusing on safety culture and safety management systems (SMS). The committee “found a lack of awareness of safety-related metrics at all levels of the organization and significant skepticism expressed by Boeing employees regarding the lasting power of SMS implementation.”
The report also noted that Boeing’s number of senior engineers declined as a result of the pandemic, with many opting to retire and not being replaced. This limits Boeing’s ability to exercise much of the oversight delegated to it by the FAA. The report noted that the FAA is also experiencing an exodus of engineering talent due to the pandemic.
One of the more disturbing aspects of the report was that Boeing said there was “insufficient consideration of human factors commensurate with their importance to aviation safety, and pilots’ input into aircraft design and operation” The survey found that there is a shortage of The report found that in the years leading up to 2018, when the first of three fatal crashes involving Boeing 737 Max aircraft occurred, a series of executive decisions at Boeing led to a number of engineers focusing on “human factors.” It was pointed out that there was a decrease in
The company is reportedly currently rebuilding its human factors team.
What happens next?
The purpose of the report is to improve Boeing’s safety culture, and to that end, the panel of experts made more than 50 recommendations, including “adequate measures to ensure confidence in non-retaliatory measures.” It also includes a recommendation to develop an investigation process for safety concerns that is autonomous.
The report gives Boeing six months to develop an action plan to implement the changes. The plan must then be shared with the FAA along with a schedule for implementation.
“The FAA appreciates the hard work and dedication of the members of the expert panel who completed extensive reviews in preparing this report that meets the requirements of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act.” the FAA said in a statement. flight. “We will immediately begin a thorough review of the report and determine next steps regarding the recommendations, if appropriate. We continue to hold Boeing to the highest standards of safety and we are committed to ensuring that the company We will strive to comprehensively address the recommendations.”
Boeing says changes are already underway to improve its safety culture.
“We unequivocally support the panel’s review and appreciate its efforts,” a Boeing spokesperson said. flight. “We have taken important steps to foster a culture of safety that empowers all employees to share their views. However, there is still more work to do. We will continue our comprehensive efforts to review, learn from the results, and improve our safety and quality programs.”
A Boeing spokesperson also referred to a recent message from Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun to employees.
“[I ask] We encourage all teammates to speak up as we continue to focus on every detail through the lens of safety and quality first,” Calhoun told employees. “Employees on the factory floor know better than anyone what we have to do to improve. We all ask for feedback, understand how we can help, and raise issues that need to be addressed.” We need to constantly encourage our team members to go slowly. We’re not rushing to build the system, we’re going to take our time and get it right.”