Crew function and dysfunction are frequently cited as performance factors on the incident scene. Thirty years ago the commercial aviation industry launched a groundbreaking change in the way it looked at airline crew performance after it recognized that more often than not it was the people flying the plane responsible for the crash, not the plane itself.
Crew resource management (CRM) was born. Since the introduction of CRM, the airline industry has experienced an improved safety record that is the envy of all industries. Other industries adopting CRM and it latest evolution, threat error management, are achieving the same results; fewer accidents, fewer errors, better performance.
This edition of Near-Miss Listen and Learn podcast launches a five-part series on the elements of crew resource management. The podcasts will demonstrates how the elements of CRM can be identified in reports that resulted in favorable outcomes and where CRM could have been used to make a difference.
The first element, and the focus of this edition, is communication. Many of our greatest successes and most tragic failures have had communication issues at the root of the problem. From the front seat of a medic unit or engine to the din of a busy 9-1-1 center, communication makes up a significant amount of what goes right and wrong between emergency responders.
The remaining elements; decision making, teamwork, task allocation, and situational awareness will be presented in future editions to round out your audio primer on a system that has a proven track record of success.
Related Links
• Near-Miss Reports from this podcast (PDF)
• National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System
• Webcast: Using Crew Resource Management To Reduce Firefighter Near Misses
• Webcast: Virtual Kitchen Table Talk: Lessons Learned from the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System
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