Safety Critical Tasks: The Quiet Work That Keeps Airports Safe
When we hear the phrase “safety critical task,” we may think it pertains to aircraft maintenance.
Engine overhauls. Flight control inspections. Sign-offs before return to service.
But airports have safety critical tasks too.
They’re just quieter.
They’re embedded in operations, buried in procedures, assumed to “just happen.” And when they’re done properly, nothing happens at all - which is exactly the point.
This week, I’d like to bring Safety Critical Tasks (SCTs) into the conversation.
Because whether or not the regulations speak to them, your airport depends on them.
What Is a Safety Critical Task?
A Safety Critical Task is any task that, if omitted, performed incorrectly, delayed, or performed by someone not competent to do it, could:
Lead to catastrophic consequences, or
Expose the airport to significant operational, regulatory, reputational, or safety risk.
In other words:
If this task fails, something serious could happen.
These are not routine administrative items.
They are not “nice to have.”
They are not optional when time gets tight.
They are the tasks that quietly hold your safety system together.
“But Isn’t That More of an Aircraft Thing?”
It’s true that the aviation world often associates safety critical tasks with maintenance programs. But airports are complex operational systems. We manage:
Runway surface conditions
Wildlife control
Airside vehicle movements
Construction safety
NOTAM issuance
Emergency response coordination
Obstacle limitation surfaces
Winter operations
Fuel farm oversight
Access control
The absence or failure of many of these functions would not merely be inconvenient - it could be catastrophic.
And while there may not be extensive regulatory language that explicitly lists “Safety Critical Tasks” for airports, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
In fact, Transport Canada’s Advisory Circular AC 107-001, under Component 9 (Quality Assurance Program), references the need for periodic management review of safety critical functions and safety or quality issues arising from internal evaluations.
That single reference carries weight.
Because if management review is required, identification must precede it.
You cannot review what you have not defined.
The Risk of Assumption
One of the most dangerous phrases in any airport operation is:
“We’ve always done it that way.”
Safety critical tasks are often hidden inside assumptions:
“Ops always checks the lights.”
“Wildlife control handles that.”
“Maintenance knows when to inspect that.”
“The NOTAM will get issued.”
But:
Is the task documented?
Is the timing defined?
Is competency verified?
Is there redundancy?
Is there oversight?
Is there monitoring?
Is there management review?
If we don’t establish a baseline, we have no starting point for continuous improvement.
And if we don’t document what makes us safe, we are relying on memory and goodwill - not systems.
Examples of Safety Critical Tasks at Airports
Every airport will have a different list. That’s the point.
But common examples might include:
Issuing and cancelling NOTAMs
Conducting runway inspections at required intervals
Friction testing and condition reporting
Snow and ice control decision-making
Wildlife hazard assessments and dispersal activities
Fuel quality control testing
Inspection of obstacle limitation surfaces
Emergency Coordination Centre activation procedures
Verification of contractor airside safety briefings
Wildlife Management Plan implementation
Wildlife strike reporting
Inspection of safety areas and strip conditions
Backup power system checks
Airfield lighting inspections
Construction phasing plan oversight
Notice something?
These are not glamorous tasks.
They are process-driven, often repetitive, sometimes thankless - yet they are absolutely foundational.
What Should Airports Do With Safety Critical Tasks?
Identifying them is only Step One.
A mature approach requires five things:
1. Identify and Define Them
Ask each department:
What do you do that, if not done, creates significant risk?
What tasks would keep you up at night if you learned they were missed?
What do regulators expect to be happening consistently?
Build a master list.
Make it visible.
2. Document the Process
For each safety critical task:
Is there a written procedure?
Is responsibility clearly assigned?
Are timing and frequency defined?
Is required competency specified?
Are tools and equipment defined?
If the process lives in someone’s head, it is fragile.
Documentation establishes baseline performance and enables continuous improvement.
3. Conduct a Formal Risk Assessment
These tasks should not sit outside your SMS.
Record them in your hazard register.
Assess risks using your defined methodology.
Identify failure modes (what happens if this task is missed or done incorrectly?).
Identify existing controls.
Determine residual risk.
Ensure risks are reduced to ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable).
This elevates the task from “routine activity” to “managed risk.”
4. Monitor and Review
This is where executives come in.
Under AC 107-001, management review of safety critical functions is part of determining whether the SMS is working.
That means:
Are internal audits reviewing these tasks?
Are trends monitored?
Are deviations tracked?
Are corrective actions verified for effectiveness?
Is the SMS Committee discussing them?
Safety critical tasks should periodically be placed “under the microscope.”
If they never show up in management review discussions, that’s a signal.
5. Raise Their Profile
Culture matters.
If staff understand that certain tasks are safety critical:
Shortcuts are less likely.
Reporting is more likely.
Escalation happens sooner.
Resourcing discussions become clearer.
Executives set tone.
When leadership asks about safety critical tasks - consistently - the organization pays attention.
The Executive Lens: Questions to Ask This Week
If you are an Accountable Executive or senior leader, here are practical actions you can take immediately:
Ask for the List
“Can I see our documented safety critical tasks?”Ask About Ownership
“Who is responsible for each of these? How do we ensure competency?”Ask About Monitoring
“How do we know these tasks are being performed as required?”Ask About Failure Modes
“What would happen if this task failed tomorrow?”Ask About Review Cycle
“When was the last time we formally reviewed this list?”
These are not accusatory questions.
They are leadership questions.
And they elevate safety from assumption to assurance.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
Airports operate in dynamic environments:
Construction seasons
Staffing shortages
Weather extremes
Increasing traffic
Emerging technologies
Budget pressures
When systems are under stress, safety critical tasks are the first places where drift can occur.
A missed inspection.
A delayed report.
An incomplete briefing.
An unreviewed procedure.
Safety failures are rarely dramatic at the beginning.
They are incremental.
Identifying and managing safety critical tasks is one way to guard against operational drift.
Safety Critical Tasks and Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement is not about new initiatives.
It begins with knowing what must never fail.
When safety critical tasks are:
Documented,
Risk assessed,
Monitored,
Reviewed, and
Discussed at leadership level,
…then you have a baseline.
And with a baseline, improvement becomes possible.
Without one, improvement is guesswork.
Final Thought
You may not see the term “Safety Critical Tasks” repeated throughout airport regulations.
But the responsibility is implied.
Airports exist to provide safe environments for aircraft, passengers, workers, and communities.
There are tasks within your organization that quietly uphold that responsibility every single day.
The question is not whether they exist.
The question is:
Have you identified them, elevated them, and ensured they are protected?
Because when safety critical tasks are visible, documented, and reviewed, your safety system becomes proactive rather than reactive.
And that is where executive leadership truly makes a difference.
Next Steps: Turning Awareness into Action
If this topic prompted even a small pause - that’s a good thing.
Safety Critical Tasks are rarely dramatic. They don’t come with flashing lights. But they quietly underpin your operational integrity, regulatory compliance, and safety culture.
The question is not whether they exist at your airport.
The question is whether they are:
Clearly identified
Properly documented
Risk assessed within your SMS
Actively monitored
Periodically reviewed at the executive level
If you’re unsure - or if you suspect your current approach is informal, fragmented, or undocumented - this is an opportunity.
At Acclivix, we work with airports to:
Facilitate workshops to identify Safety Critical Tasks across departments
Integrate those tasks into hazard registers and risk assessment processes
Strengthen documentation and accountability structures
Align Quality Assurance programs with AC 107-001 expectations
Build executive-level review frameworks that support informed oversight
Sometimes it starts with a simple question:
“Can we see the list?”
Because the safest airports aren’t the ones that assume critical tasks are happening.
They’re the ones that verify them.