Ten years ago, under chairman Dick Smith, CAA ceased to review all the service bulletins from the aircraft makers. At the time it conceded that there were risks, but it was labor intensive and costly. Toller told the National Press Club in February that systems auditing had since taken hold as the best tool for ensuring operators performed their functions and embraced their responsibilities properly. It is about reviewing the systems in place to ensure there is not a single point of failure. Good systems produce good results.
Weak systems increase the likelihood of bad results.
He said CASA encouraged an adoption of a safety culture. It did not hold hands but it audited the systems that created the culture. He complained that regulators worldwide in many industries tended to get the blame for the errors of the people they regulated. Yes, we take action which means that each year one or two small airlines are forced to close. No, we have not to date, closed down any of the major airlines, though if their continuing operation is considered an immediate threat to safety, then I assure you that we would.