SLCAA Holds Two-Day Workshop to Strengthen Aviation Safety and Occurrence Reporting
The Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA) has brought together key aviation stakeholders for a two-day workshop focused on strengthening safety management, improving risk control and ensuring faster reporting of incidents and other safety-related occurrences across Sierra Leone’s aviation sector.
The workshop, which brought together representatives from the SLCAA, Sierra Leone Airports Authority, Sierra Leone Handling Partners, Freetown International Airport and Roberts Flight Information Region, focused on strengthening coordination between regulators, airport operators, ground handlers and air-navigation service providers.
Director General of the SLCAA, Musayeroh Barrie, said the engagement forms part of the Authority’s efforts to promote proactive safety management, strengthen risk controls and improve the timely reporting of occurrences across the aviation industry.
Barrie said the workshop provides an opportunity for participating institutions to deepen their understanding of aviation hazards, assess operational risks and strengthen procedures for identifying, reporting and addressing safety concerns.
She stressed that collaboration among aviation institutions is essential to building a stronger safety culture and ensuring safer skies in Sierra Leone.
Discussions during the workshop covered hazard identification, risk assessment, incident prevention, safety-data collection and the proper documentation and analysis of operational occurrences.
Participants also examined how stronger information-sharing can help aviation institutions identify potential dangers and introduce corrective measures before they develop into serious incidents or accidents.
Occurrence reporting is a key component of aviation safety management because it allows regulators and service providers to collect information on incidents, operational irregularities and potentially unsafe conditions.
The information can then be analysed to identify recurring problems, emerging risks and areas requiring corrective action.
The workshop also promoted the principle of a “just culture”, which encourages aviation personnel to report genuine safety concerns without fear of unfair punishment while maintaining accountability for deliberate misconduct and serious violations of established procedures.
Participants examined the importance of effective Safety Management Systems, which require aviation institutions to establish clear responsibilities, develop safety policies, introduce risk-control measures and continuously monitor safety performance.
The approach encourages aviation organisations to identify and manage risks before they result in accidents or other serious consequences.
The engagement supports Sierra Leone’s State Safety Programme, which provides a framework for regulating and managing aviation safety in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization standards.
Under the framework, the SLCAA exercises regulatory oversight, while aviation service providers are expected to establish and maintain effective Safety Management Systems.
The participation of Roberts Flight Information Region also highlighted the importance of cooperation beyond individual airports and national institutions.
Effective coordination in airspace management, occurrence reporting and safety-information sharing can help reduce risks across interconnected aviation operations.
By bringing key aviation stakeholders together, the two-day workshop strengthened shared responsibility, institutional coordination and risk-based decision-making within Sierra Leone’s aviation industry.
The initiative forms part of the SLCAA’s continued efforts to protect passengers, aviation personnel and the wider public while promoting safer airport operations and secure skies across the country.