30 FOGHORN With a resume including State Farm Insurance agent, chair of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, and chief of staff of U.S. Department of Transportation, Inman has never lost sight of being a kid from a small Ken- tucky town that he described as having 3,000 people, two stoplights, and a Dairy Queen. In his career, he’s worked with businesses large and small during their most chal- lenging times. He brought a little levity to the start of the session, saying “We’re from the government, we’re here to help…You’re sup- posed to laugh at that.” Despite the light tone, he was serious that he and his team are there to help. While he expressed hope that audience members would never find themselves in a situation needing the NTSB, he offered advice to make it an advantageous opportunity should it arises. As an independent, fact driven organization, the NTSB has no regulatory authority. It is this independence that enables them to give an unbiased perspective. “We’re not there to fine you, and we’re not there to regulate you,” In- man explained. “We’re there to determine probable cause and recommendations.” Their team is made of expert investigators, with a dedicated maritime division of more than 20 people. Many in the division maintain captain’s licenses and have extensive operational experience. Several staff spent 10-15 years in the industry before joining the NTSB, bringing to the group years of firsthand experience and knowledge. The NTSB employs the party process and will ask those involved, such as a vessel operator or owner, to be a party to the investigation. With a little over 430 people at the orga- nization and over 1,000 investigations a year, they can’t do it alone. The party process is fully transparent, and those involved learn everything the NTSB team learns, sit in the room with investigators discussing the information, and can review all factual reports. Parties are also allowed to bring in their own experts. The process not only supports the in- vestigation, but the individuals involved. “If you see safety issues, you can actually address them immediately,” Inman explained. With their extensive experience, NTSB members can also help parties manage what is likely to happen and to better understand timing of when things may occur. NTSB investigations and reports aim to make transpor- tation safer. Inman acknowledged that it’s not possible to make any mode of transportation 100 percent safe. For example, he explained that there are approximately 40,000 fatalities on roadways each year and that this number could possibly be brought down to 1,000—if the national speed limit were dropped to five miles per hour. It’s not a feasible solution. In maritime, to make the waterways completely safe, vessels would never leave the dock and would never have passengers on board. However, the goal is not to put companies out of business. “We’re trying to find a way for them to flourish in business, but do it in a safer, better method,” Inman said. In recent years, Inman stated that some of the most effec- tive tools they’ve found are safety management systems (SMS) and crisis plans. He shared the famous quote of former boxer Mike Tyson who said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Inman applied this reasoning to an SMS and a crisis plan. They are never fin- ished or complete and must be continuously developed. As risk and technology evolve, an SMS and an operation must also evolve. He credited PVA with its development of the SMS guide and crisis communication plan Flagship. While an SMS is not required of all operators, Inman urged attendees to start looking into it from a voluntarily as it will save lives. He discouraged approaching it as simply a checklist. “You can be a better organization,” he explained. “It enhances FOGHORN FOCUS Their team is made of expert investigators, with a dedicated maritime division of more than 20 people. Many in the division maintain captain’s licenses and have extensive operational experience.
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