Premium on Safety - Issue 49, 2023 - 12

USAIG INSIGHTS
It's hard in most flying organizations to
generate effort toward building, improving,
or validating the Emergency Response
Plan (ERP). There are always so many other
priorities competing for attention to get
scheduled trips in the air. " We flew yesterday,
and we're flying today in our current state of
preparedness without any issues; chances are
we'll make it through tomorrow too, " and " If
we're wrong and do face an emergency, we've
got smart, caring people who will just figure a
way through. " So frequently goes the thought
process on this organizational plan that
might be vitally important to you one day-or
possibly never needed.
A crisis has a way of exposing
gaps in organizational thought
and preparation at the worst
possible time.
A crisis has a way of exposing gaps in
organizational thought and preparation at the
worst possible time. Aviation is an industry
known to present varied and plentiful risks.
Even if a heavy lift is required to break the
inertia and confirm your ERP's readiness,
your organization owes a duty to its people
to do it and ensure there's a sound and viable
plan always in place. There's no gentler way
to put this: It's a " must do. " As a USAIG
policyholder, you have several ways to
access help.
USAIG's ERP Best Practices guide can be
accessed from our website here. It outlines
key parts of an ERP and poses a series of
questions in each topical area to guide a
self-administered gap analysis of your plan.
The idea is to illuminate areas where deeper
thinking or more detailed information might
be needed. A common mistake is to rely too
heavily on the assumption that you know
exactly who will perform the ERP's checklists.
Key people may be out of position in a crisis,
and others may need to step into unexpected
roles. If the plan relies on shorthand and
leaves too much to " assumed knowledge, "
it won't be much help for people pressed
into service. Evaluating your plan using the
guide can help identify issues like that and
many others.
Another option is to have your ERP reviewed
by USAIG. This is done on a by-request
basis and accomplished as capacity permits
by USAIG claims managers. You send in
an electronic copy of your ERP, it's reviewed
over the course of several weeks, and
confidential feedback is provided on any
areas for potential improvement. It's a great
way to get third-party eyes on your plan and
Navigating the first hours after an aviation accident
is an intense challenge, even for the most prepared
organizations. Emotions are charged, and time pressure
can be intense. The situation has many opportunities for
missteps, and it may also be unfamiliar because crises are
hard to simulate and practice effectively.
Your plan needs to be sound and well-deployed. Key
people need to be knowledgeable and clear on their
responsibilities, and depending on the depth of resources
and staff, you may need outside support standing ready
to augment your team. Being prepared means thinking
ahead-and that's benefited by hearing from experts.
Black Swan Solutions by Empathia provided an informative
webinar in April 2023 for interested USAIG policyholders
outlining best practices for modern Aviation Emergency
Response Plans. A recording of that webinar can be
accessed by clicking the multimedia icon above.
12

https://www.icao.int/sustainability/ERP/Pages/default.aspx#:~:text=An%20ERP%20is%20a%20comprehensive,situations%2C%20disruptions%20or%20potential%20disruptions https://www.icao.int/sustainability/ERP/Pages/default.aspx#:~:text=An%20ERP%20is%20a%20comprehensive,situations%2C%20disruptions%20or%20potential%20disruptions https://www.usau.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/USAIG-ERP-Best-Practice-Guide.pdf

Premium on Safety - Issue 49, 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Premium on Safety - Issue 49, 2023