2021 Excellence in Risk Initiatives Award Winners
Silver Award
Managing Aircraft and Personnel in a COVID-19 Environment
Air Mobility Group (AMG) is responsible for preparing and undertaking critical deployment of Royal Australian Air Force personnel and resources. Squadrons from AMG are often the first on the scene when deploying Defence assets in times of crisis – whether this be responding to evacuations from locations such as Malacoota during the bush fires of 2019 or airlifting over 4100 people out of Afganistan Aug 2021.
To respond effectively AMG need to integrate risk management into their everyday business, and sustaining operations through the COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique challenge. To manage the additional hazards AMG were required to develop and implement a suite of policy and procedures to keep their personnel safe and minimise the risk of spreading COVID while operating regionally and globally. AMG personnel maintained high standards and endured extensive periods in isolation and quarantine. AMG’s risk management procedures required development to incorporate and consider the management of the potential mental health risks.
Due to significant planning, policy and procedure development there has not been a single positive COVID-19 diagnosis in the course of 9,000 missions, of which almost 900 were international in the past 12 months. The success of AMG’s approach to risk management was the result of a rigorous approach to planning and the embedding of their frameworks which included engagement with stakeholders both domestically and internationally. AMG’s approach to wellbeing and mental health has now been rolled out across the Department of Defence for others to consider and include in other Defence programs.
