The Global Aviation Information Network (GAIN)

The worldwide commercial aviation system is a complex system involving hardware, software, and liveware (humans). All of these components must work together efficiently and effectively in a variety of environments in order for the system to function successfully. One of the least predictable aspects of how the system operates is what the humans will do. In the aviation system, much of this lack of predictability results from inadvertent error and/or operators of the system trying to optimize the functioning of the system in unanticipated situations. When undesirable consequences result from the inadvertent error and/or well-intentioned efforts to make the system work better, the human action is usually classified as “human error.” As the aviation system becomes more complex, safety professionals are concluding that responding successfully to “human error” necessitates increased focus on the system. Focusing primarily upon the individual who committed the “error” (a) assumes, sometimes incorrectly, that the most effective remedy is getting the individual to behave differently, and (b) fails to consider the role of the system in leading to the undesired behavior. An essential element for enhanced system focus is better information. Rapid advances in information technologies are creating unprecedented opportunities for safety professionals to collect better information about how the operators of the system make it work. That information helps safety professionals improve the system by making it (a) less likely to result in human error, i.e., less error prone; and (b) more capable of withstanding human error without catastrophic result, i.e., more error tolerant. The Global Aviation Information Network (GAIN) is promoting and facilitating the voluntary collection, analysis, and sharing of information in the international aviation community to improve safety. GAIN was proposed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but it has evolved into an international coalition of aviation community members - airlines, manufacturers, unions, and governments. GAIN is helping to create legal and cultural environments that encourage and facilitate the collection of large quantities of data. GAIN is also creating tools and processes to help aviation safety professionals convert that data into useful information to (a) identify potential safety issues, (b) prioritize them, (c) develop solutions, and (d) evaluate whether the solutions are working. Two aspects of GAIN that have been discovered from experience are significantly enhancing its development. First, the tools and processes can be used not only in other transportation modes, but also in other industries, including chemical manufacturing, nuclear power, public utilities, health care and national security. Second, experience is demonstrating that the systematic collection and sharing of safety information can not only facilitate the correction of troublesome trends, but can also result in significant immediate cost savings in operations and maintenance. In theory, other industries applying these tools and processes should also be able to reap significant immediate economic benefits. Extensive information about GAIN is on the Internet at www.gainweb.org