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How Encouraging Psychological Safety Prevents Disaster

By Austin Welch

In March of 1977, the small airport on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands was cloaked in heavy fog. A KLM 747 had to make an unexpected landing due to a bomb scare earlier that day. Now with the all-clear, the crew was anxious to get back in the air and keep their scheduled arrival time.

As the pilot lined up the aircraft for takeoff, the First Officer radioed back to the tower to verify clearance for takeoff, but he was cut off by the Pilot with a curt: “We’re going.”

As food safety professionals, the empowerment of our people to speak up when they witness potential risks is a critical tool we can all develop.

Moments later, appearing through the fog, was the broad side of the Pan American 747 blocking the runway. The KLM flight tried to lift off but ultimately ripped through the center of the Pan American plane and then exploded into a massive fireball. 583 people perished in the crash. It is still considered the worst accident in the history of civil aviation.

So what does this have to do with food safety?

One lesson from this accident is that if the cabin crew had simply spoken up and said “Wait for clearance,” the entire disaster could have been avoided. But why didn’t someone say that? Both the Flight Engineer and the First Officer seemed to have reservations about the clearance for takeoff. Speaking up would not only have saved the lives of those passengers, but also their own.

As food safety professionals, the empowerment of our people to speak up when they witness potential risks is a critical tool we can all develop.

We often hear phrases like, “If you see something, say something.” But the reality is a bit more complex than just sharing bumper-sticker wisdom.

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