4-APP 2-1
Appendix 2 to Chapter 4 MANAGEMENT OF SAFETY INFORMATION
1. GENERAL
1.1 Quality safety data are the lifeblood of safety management. Effective safety management is “data driven”.
Information collected from operational and maintenance reports, safety reports, audits, evaluations of work practices, etc., generate a lot of data — although not all of it is relevant for safety management. So much safety-related information
is collected and stored that there is a risk of overwhelming responsible managers, thereby compromising the utility of the data. Sound management of the organization’s databases is fundamental to effective safety management functions
such as trend monitoring, risk assessment, cost-benefit analyses and occurrence investigations. 1.2
The argument necessary for safety change must be based on the analysis of consolidated and safety data. The establishment and maintenance of a safety database provide an essential tool for corporate managers, safety
managers and regulatory authorities monitoring system safety issues. Unfortunately, many databases lack the data quality necessary to provide a reliable basis for adjusting safety priorities, evaluating the effectiveness of risk mitigation
measures and initiating safety-related research. An understanding of data, databases and the use of appropriate tools is required to reach timely and valid decisions.
1.3
Increasingly, computer software is being used to facilitate the recording, storage, analysis and presentation of safety information. It is now possible to easily conduct sophisticated analysis of information in the databases. A wide
range of relatively inexpensive electronic databases, capable of supporting the organization’s data management requirements, are commercially available for desktop computers. These stand-alone systems have the advantage of not
using the organization’s main computer system, thus improving the security of the data.
2. INFORMATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Depending on the size of their organizations, users require a system with a range of capabilities and outputs to manage their safety data. In general, users require:
a a system with the capability of transforming large amounts of safety data into useful information that supports decision making;
b a system that will reduce workload for managers and safety personnel; c an automated system that is customizable to their own culture; and
d a system that can operate at relatively low cost.
3. UNDERSTANDING DATABASES
3.1 To take advantage of the potential benefits of safety databases, a basic understanding of their operation is
required. What is a database? Any information that has been grouped together in an organized manner can be
4-APP 2-2 Safety Management Manual SMM
considered to be a database. Paper records can be maintained in a simple filing system i.e. a manual “database”, but such a system will suffice only for the smallest of operations. Storage, recording, recall and retrieval of data are
cumbersome tasks. Safety data of whatever origin should preferably be stored in an electronic database that facilitates the retrieval of this information in a variety of formats.
3.2
The capability to manipulate, analyse and retrieve information in a variety of ways is known as database management. Most database management software packages incorporate the following organizational elements for
defining a database: a
Record. A grouping of information items that go together as a unit such as all data concerning one occurrence;
b
Field. Each separate information item in a record such as the date or location of an occurrence; and
c
File. A group of records having the same structure and an interrelationship such as all engine-related occurrences for a specific year.
3.3 Databases are considered to be “structured” when each data field has a fixed length, and its format type is
clearly defined by a number, date, “yesno” answer, character or text. Often only a fixed choice of values is available to the user. These values are stored in reference files, often referred to as base tables or list value tables, for example, a selection
of aircraft makes and models from a predetermined list. In order to facilitate quantitative analysis and systematic searches, free-form text entry in structured databases is minimized by confining it to a fixed field length. Often such information is
categorized by a system of keywords. 3.4
Databases are considered to be “text-based” when information holdings are primarily written documents for example, accident and incident summaries or written correspondence. The data are indexed and stored in free-form
text fields. Some databases contain large amounts of text and structured data; however, modern databases are much more than electronic filing cabinets.
4. DATABASE LIMITATIONS
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