Examples of risk management programs

The job:
inspecting power line towers by helicopter

The risks:
little margin for recovery if engine fails or performance is suddenly decreased, can drift into wire line because of high wind or low level turbulence. Remote area terrain that can be flat or mountainous. Wires near certain terrain can give off illusions that make wires disappear. Bad weather (rain, high winds, snow) can affect the job.

Mitigation efforts: To prevent any engine trouble the first step would be to focus extra attention to more frequent helicopter maintenance inspections and extra preflight inspections (more precise craft walk around), extra fuel testing via craft fuel sumps and fuel storage facility or truck. Extra care in reviewing all weather related data including winds. In addition, high level passes should be preformed first before lower level flying. Also, to address the issue of mountainous terrain the pilot should first get to know the area by make higher level passes first. To avoid any wire illusions, again the pilot should make high level passes and then approach lower and slower and always fly with a second pilot for extra eyes; in addition, the pilot should always make reference to where the neighboring wire towers are to estimate were the wire are. Lastly, the pilot should gain additional training and mentoring by veteran pilots before any Pilot in command time as an Power line inspection pilot.

Also,a good risk management program that can be applied to aviation or nonaviation activities is use of the IM SAFE checklist. IM SAFE checklist stands for Illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, and emotion. To reduce human error and accidents, anyone suffering from any of these factors should consider abstaining from the task