Canadian Airports Safety Week: Make It Count (Executive Playbook)
Canadian Airports Safety Week (CASW) is just under two weeks away — running from September 15–19. Across the country, airports will take part in this annual campaign to raise awareness and shine a spotlight on the practices that keep workers, passengers, and operations safe.
This year’s theme — Human Factors and Training — couldn’t be more relevant. Airports face ongoing challenges around staffing, fatigue, distraction, communication breakdowns, and the need to embed safety habits in a constantly changing workforce. CASW gives leaders a ready-made platform to focus on these issues. But the impact depends on what you do with it.
Why Leadership Matters Most During Safety Week
The reality is that most frontline workers already know Safety Week is coming. Posters will go up. Toolbox talks will be scheduled. Some airports will host FOD walks or daily events. But what often makes the difference is executive involvement.
When leadership shows up — not just in words but in presence — the message is unmistakable: safety isn’t a side activity, it’s a core value. Visibility during CASW sets the tone for the months that follow.
That visibility doesn’t need to be complicated. Attend one of the daily talks, ask open-ended safety questions on the apron, or share a personal story about a time you caught yourself making an error because of fatigue or distraction. These gestures connect the Human Factors theme to real-world leadership.
Human Factors in Action
Human Factors is not an abstract concept — it’s the everyday reality of how people perform in complex, pressured environments. During CASW, leaders can help bring this theme alive by:
Talking about fatigue — and how it affects decision-making at every level.
Highlighting the importance of psychological safety — encouraging workers to speak up without fear of blame.
Connecting training refreshers to actual incidents or near-misses, showing how practice prevents repetition.
The point is not to lecture, but to demonstrate that you understand the pressures your teams face and that you value continuous improvement.
Micro-Commitments Build Culture
One of the most powerful ways to turn Safety Week into culture change is through micro-commitments. A poster won’t change culture, but asking each team to make a small pledge — “I’ll double-check my PPE,” “I’ll file one safety observation this week” — starts to normalize daily safety action.
Executives should be part of this too. What’s your micro-commitment? Saying it aloud during CASW sends a strong signal that safety belongs to everyone, from the ramp to the boardroom.
Measure What Matters
Finally, CASW is a chance to gather meaningful safety data. If you’re running toolbox talks, track attendance. If you’re asking for observations, log them. If you’re doing a FOD walk on Friday, measure the participation. Then take that information and feed it into your management system software — whether it’s Wombat or another platform.
Those numbers don’t just prove activity; they help sustain momentum. Sharing with staff that “we logged 40 hazards this week, more than triple our usual reporting rate” reinforces that their voice is being heard.
Beyond September 19
The real measure of CASW’s success isn’t in how many events you run, but in what carries forward once the posters come down. Weekly safety talks, continued hazard reporting, and regular reinforcement of Human Factors principles are what will turn a one-week campaign into a living safety culture.
And with the AMCO Conference in Sudbury taking place from October 5–8, executives have the perfect opportunity to share what worked at their airport, learn from peers, and gather new strategies to keep safety at the forefront.
CASW is the spark. Leadership is the fuel. The culture change that follows is up to you.
Looking to make lasting safety culture change? Connect with us today and let’s formulate a plan that continues beyond the special events.