Managing Environmental, Health, and Safety Risks: A Comparative Assessment of the Minerals Management Service and Other Agencies

This study compares and contrasts regulatory and related practices—in particular, regulatory decisionmaking, risk assessment and planning processes, inspection and compliance, and organization structure, budgets, and training—of the Minerals Management Service (MMS, now the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, or BOEMRE) with those of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Comparing MMS practices with those of other federal agencies that also manage low-probability but high-consequence environmental risks provides a basis for identifying opportunities for enhancing regulatory capacity and safety performance in managing deepwater energy exploration and production. Our research finds important differences in processes for setting standards; peer review contribution to the rulemaking process; establishment of tolerable risk thresholds; and training of key staff. The paper concludes with several recommendations for how various EPA and FAA practices might be modified and used at BOEMRE to strengthen its regulatory and risk management processes.Minerals Management Service, Federal Aviation Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, risk management

Methodology development for evaluation of selective-fidelity rotorcraft simulation

This paper addressed the initial step toward the goal of establishing performance and handling qualities acceptance criteria for realtime rotorcraft simulators through a planned research effort to quantify the system capabilities of 'selective fidelity' simulators. Within this framework the simulator is then classified based on the required task. The simulator is evaluated by separating the various subsystems (visual, motion, etc.) and applying corresponding fidelity constants based on the specific task. This methodology not only provides an assessment technique, but also provides a technique to determine the required levels of subsystem fidelity for a specific task

Safety integrated with quality management as operational excellence tool in the aviation fuel industry

Factors such as aircraft design, air traffic control, aviation fuel quality, management policies, etc. are associated with flight safety. Diverse methodologies and systems have been developed for managing these intricate factors. Much focus over time has been on the aircraft itself; the design, pre-flight checks and operational procedures. This study is focused on highlighting how the combination of Safety Management Systems (SMS) and Quality Management Systems (QMS) are deployed in the jet fuel value chain for ensuring the safety of personnel, the integrity of the work process and facility and ultimately the supply of quality and dry on-spec Jet A-1 fuel for into-plane or fuelling operations. For the integrated safety and quality management system (ISQMS) to be effective, all stakeholders must play active roles and show utmost commitment to the ISQMS vision and goals. The management of the fuelling company sets the ISQMS pace and drives the process. The ISQMS incorporates all aspect of the business operations and offers both direct and indirect benefits to the business

Identifying Operational Benefits of the Arrival Management System – A KPI-Based Experimental Method by Evaluating Radar Trajectories

The arrival management (AMAN) system is a decision support tool for air traffic controllers to establish and maintain the landing sequence for arrival aircraft. The original intention of designing the AMAN system is to improve the efficiency of air traffic management (ATM), but few studies are investigating the operational benefits of this system based on key performance indicators (KPIs) and evaluating actual data in a real-time environment. The main purpose of this paper is to propose a KPI based transferable comparative analysis method for identifying the operational benefits of the AMAN through radar trajectories. Firstly, six KPIs are established from a joint study of the mainstream ATM performance frameworks worldwide. Secondly, appropriate evaluation technique approaches are determined according to the characteristics of each KPI. Finally, a Chinese metropolitan airport is taken for the case study, and three periods are defined to form data samples with high similarity for comparative experiments. The results validate the feasibility of the proposed method and find comprehensive performance improvements in arrival operations under the effects of the AMAN system

Safety Sufficiency for NextGen: Assessment of Selected Existing Safety Methods, Tools, Processes, and Regulations

NextGen is a complex socio-technical system and, in many ways, it is expected to be more complex than the current system. It is vital to assess the safety impact of the NextGen elements (technologies, systems, and procedures) in a rigorous and systematic way and to ensure that they do not compromise safety. In this study, the NextGen elements in the form of Operational Improvements (OIs), Enablers, Research Activities, Development Activities, and Policy Issues were identified. The overall hazard situation in NextGen was outlined; a high-level hazard analysis was conducted with respect to multiple elements in a representative NextGen OI known as OI-0349 (Automation Support for Separation Management); and the hazards resulting from the highly dynamic complexity involved in an OI-0349 scenario were illustrated. A selected but representative set of the existing safety methods, tools, processes, and regulations was then reviewed and analyzed regarding whether they are sufficient to assess safety in the elements of that OI and ensure that safety will not be compromised and whether they might incur intolerably high costs

Trajectory-Based, Probabilistic Risk Model for UAS Operations

To enable the safe integration of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) into the civil airspace, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has elaborated a new regulatory framework that is operation-centric and risk-based. Based on this principle, gaining authorization to conduct certain types of operations depends on a safety risk assessment. To harmonize this process, the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems (JARUS) released a qualitative methodology called Specific Operation Risk Assessment (SORA). However, SORA is not a complete safety assessment tool since, in some cases, a quantitative risk analysis is still required. This work develops a probabilistic risk model that extends SORA to evaluate the ground risk and the air risk components along a specified UAS trajectory quantitatively. The proposed model is supplied with illustrative data and is validated in a representative UAS mission. In the future, the risk model will be exploited to develop a decision tool for determining the minimum-risk trajectory when multiple, alternative routes are available

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 349)

This bibliography lists 149 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during April, 1991. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and psychology, life support systems and controlled environments, safety equipment, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, and flight crew behavior and performance

Sustainable Development Factors in Pavement Life-Cycle: Highway/Airport Review

Sustainability has gained as much importance as management in business. Sustainable pavement development as a business practice should involve making evaluations according to the triple bottom line in the pavement life-cycle. Despite the current approaches to evaluating the social as well as economic and environmental feasibility of pavement projects (involving highway and airport infrastructure), there has recently been a lack of consensus on a methodology to guarantee sustainability upon assessment and analysis during the pavement life-cycle. As sustainability is a complex issue, this study intends to further explore sustainability and elaborate on its meaning. The second step involves a general depiction of the major sustainability appraisal tools, namely cost-benefit analysis, life-cycle cost analysis, life-cycle assessment, multi-criteria decision-making, environmental impact assessment and social life-cycle assessment, and an explanation of their cons and pros. Subsequently, the article addresses the application of an organized methodology to highlight the main factors or concepts that should be applied in sustainable pavement development and, more specifically, in sustainable pavement management. In the final step, research recommendations toward sustainability are given. This study is aimed to assist decision-makers in pavement management to plan sustainability frameworks in accordance with probable boundaries and restrictions

Evaluating the Performance of Government IT Projects in the Caribbean: Beyond the Traditional Approach

The study seeks to empirically apply multiple performance evaluation techniques, including traditional approach to assess the performance of government projects. Studies have shown that while there is an increase in improved project management methods, tools and techniques, including performance evaluation techniques, organizations including governments are still relying on outdated or insufficient tools. We posit that the increased application of alternative approaches to highlight the important dimensions of the project process can help to address this issue. With the increased application of newer techniques over time, stakeholders can be equipped to better identify sources of failures and successes and improve the management of projects. This is crucial for IT projects and government projects that are consistently perceived as underperforming. The research employs a single project from the aviation industry in the Caribbean to apply the perspectives of the Barclay’s Project Performance Scorecard and Delone & McLean’s IS Success Model measurements, and triple constraints method to evaluate project performance and report on the findings