… examines impacts of safety recommendations on states
Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Bureau (BAGAIA) has emphasised plans to boost its regional bond and improve safety in the continent by deepening ties with existing allies and seeking new ones.
Commissioner of BAGAIA, Engr. Charles Irikefe Erhueh, disclosed this at the recent Aviation Safety Workshop and the Seventh Commission Meeting of Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA) held at Hilton Hotel, Sal Island.
He said this year’s meeting themed; ‘Consolidation of Gains’ which aligns with Aviation Safety will go further to examine how impactful the various safety recommendations in some incidents and accidents has been after infusion into individual and collective systems.
Erhueh said: “BAGAIA will continue to be interested in strengthening this alliance we have forged together in the sub-region; while, looking forward to doing more to ensure safer skies bereft of accidents and incidents.
He called on states to establish guidelines that would aid them in putting values in place that will further boost safety
“The performance of the aeronautical activities is not just a consequence of the individual characteristics of the human element and the group in which it is inserted, but also of the characteristics of the organisational environment in which it is inserted.
“Therefore, organisations must seek to establish in their guidelines, actions that favour the rooting of behaviours, values, and attitudes for the sake of safety and security.”
He acknowledged the group’s drive to integrate new members in the region and beyond that stressed the need for existing members to show commitment financially as only by so doing would BAGAIA grow and fulfil its primary function.
The commissioner further said, “…top on this list is our expansion drive within the continent; how we can integrate more states into the BAGAIA family and ensure already existing members show commitment financially as that would go a long way in helping us achieve our purpose and have the capacity for training our investigators to be prepared for when they may be called to assist.
“No one wants or prays for an accident but as the saying goes ‘safety is no accident it is planned’ and ‘preparation’ is the boys’ scout motto and we chose to be prepared and not caught napping.
“Furthermore, the seventh BAGAIA Commission Meeting is an all-important gathering where we all from the Banjul Accord Group region come together to fine-tune strategies on the way forward with regard to investigating accidents while strengthening our cooperation in the sub-region, he stated.
He thanked the African Union (AU) in partnership with the European Union (EU) under the EU-Aviation Safety for Africa (EU-ASA) project for the sponsorship of the event.