CASA’s drive to change ‘just culture’

Proposals make a mockery of a proven safety asset

Delegates at the RAAA’s annual Convention on the Sunshine Coast in October were no doubt surprised to hear John McCormick say CASA may use safety report information to take away licences of individuals making the reports. It was also suggested CASA’s approach to use of safety information was being adopted at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) level, most recently at ICAO’s 38th General Assembly in September 2013.

The protection of safety information and the industry’s relationship with the regulator has been a live issue for some years now. Australia was once at the forefront of robust safety information protection. The strict information protection provided under the ATSB accident investigation regime over the last decade has been the envy of many nations and a clear example of the system working how it is supposed to.