Risk Management Magazine

Fatigue can lead to unsafe practices, such as taking shortcuts or skipping steps in procedures, ignoring safety checks or making poor decisions in high-risk environments. When tired, even the most experienced personnel are more likely to cut corners. These shortcuts may save time in the moment, but they can increase the likelihood of injuries or deaths in training and operational missions.

Safety professionals in the U.S. Army often face the challenge of communicating the importance of safety to commanders who may not fully appreciate its critical role in mission success. Overcoming these communication obstacles requires a strategic approach that emphasizes the tangible benefits of safety, aligns safety initiatives with mission objectives and leverages data-driven insights.

Things were happening fast and I constantly had to remind myself to aviate first, then navigate and, finally, communicate. I had not expected how difficult it would be to maintain altitude, airspeed and heading while simultaneously setting up the avionics for a night approach in instrument conditions. /p>