Management of Health, Environment and Safety (HES) in Royal Norwegian am Force (RNoAF) Flight Operations

The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) performs a large number of mission types. Many of these missions are undertaken in exceedingly difficult operational environments. Because of the challenges presented by seasonal variations, poor weather conditions and demanding operational task requirements, the importance of an optimal working environment to ensure crew health and safe flight operations should be emphasized. In the Norwegian concept of Health, Environment and Safety (HES), all aspects of the working environment have been taken into consideration, including human factors, ergonomics, physical and chemical factors as well as social and organizational psychology. As civilian legislation excludes military aviation in this area, the RNoAF has developed a new system that allows HES improvements to be implemented in a more efficient way. This system is based on a new military regulation for HES in RNoAF flight operations. Good coordination of HES issues, predictability and standard handling procedures are key elements in this system which is meant to be an effective managerial tool for correct HES decision-making.