Normal Operations Schemes: Proactive Hazard Identification in Practice

On October 1, I wrote about proactive hazard identification, the methods we use to uncover hazards in daily operations, before they escalate into incidents. Voluntary reporting often takes the spotlight, but there are other important proactive tools as well.

This week, I want to look more closely at three of them: normal operations schemes, proactive risk assessments, and compliance audits. Today we begin with normal operations schemes, the structured routines built into the rhythm of aviation organizations.

What Are Normal Operations Schemes?

Normal operations schemes are the regular, structured activities that take place as part of an organization’s ongoing safety and training program. These are not triggered by an incident, a new contract, or a sudden change. They are built into the calendar, year after year.

Examples include:

• Annual or seasonal safety training.

• Refresher courses for crew and ground staff.

• Operational briefings and workshops.

• Regularly scheduled safety meetings.

Even routine safety training can uncover hidden hazards — if we listen closely.

Why They Matter for Hazard Identification

The value of normal operations schemes is not just in refreshing knowledge, it is in creating space for open discussion about ongoing operations.

During training or briefings, staff often raise issues that may not appear in formal reports or audits. For example:

• A small but recurring procedure gap noticed during line operations.

• Difficulties with ground handling practices in certain weather conditions.

• Practical challenges with equipment or tools that haven’t yet led to a formal finding.

These discussions surface latent hazards, problems that exist within the system but have not yet caused a visible event.

The Role of the Safety Department

For this reason, it is highly valuable to have a member of the safety department present during annual safety training.

In smaller or less complex organizations this is often feasible, but in larger operations it may not always be possible. In those cases, it becomes critical that the safety department at least receives structured feedback from a person who knows how to identify possible hazards in general conversation.

Why? Because safety professionals (or trained observers) are able to pick up subtle signals during classroom discussions, the informal comments, side conversations, and repeated themes that may point to underlying hazards. Without this link, valuable hazard identification opportunities can be lost.

A Simple but Powerful Proactive Tool

Because normal operations schemes are routine, they sometimes get overlooked as a hazard identification method. But they are proactive in the best sense:

• They happen before incidents occur.

• They create an environment for safe, open dialogue.

• They give the safety department insights into latent hazards that would otherwise remain hidden.

Conclusion

Normal operations schemes are more than routine training or scheduled meetings. They are proactive opportunities to bring forward concerns, observations, and challenges that may not appear in daily reports. By surfacing these latent hazards in a structured setting, and by ensuring the safety department is part of the feedback loop, organizations can address them early, before they escalate into real risks.

👉 Next up in this series: Proactive Risk Assessments as a tool for hazard identification