Boeing’s Path to Safety: A New Era Under Don Ruhmann
Don Ruhmann, the new chief aerospace safety officer at Boeing, believes the company is ready for significant changes. At 61, he is the second person to hold this position since it was established in 2021, following the tragic crashes of two 737 Max planes. His role is crucial, managing several key programs aimed at improving safety, including a channel for employees to voice concerns and a system designed to catch safety risks before they lead to disasters.
One of his main responsibilities involves a program supported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that enables Boeing employees to perform tasks on behalf of the regulator. However, a report from the Transportation Department’s inspector general last year raised concerns about the pressure these employees faced to keep production moving. Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Board criticized Boeing’s safety management system for being insufficient and lacking oversight from the FAA.
Since these findings, Boeing has made concerted efforts to enhance its safety protocols following a serious incident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 Max earlier this year. These changes are starting to restore trust among airline customers and regulators alike.
Stepping into his role in March, Ruhmann feels optimistic about the progress Boeing has made over the past four years since the establishment of the chief aerospace safety office. He believes these improvements will positively impact individual products, whether they are airplanes, rockets, or training materials.
“It’s exciting to see how far we’ve come and how ready we are to make a real difference,” Ruhmann expressed in a September interview. He added, “We’re in a great spot to connect this work to the actual products and help those who use them.”
Prioritizing Safety Goals
With 36 years at Boeing, Ruhmann has deep experience, particularly on the commercial aircraft side, having held roles such as vice president for development programs and chief project engineer for the 787.
His current team of 1,200 is tasked with several vital functions, including collaborating with regulators, assisting accident investigations, and ensuring safety in Boeing’s expansive factories. However, evaluating success isn’t straightforward, as it often relies on feedback from employees.
One of Ruhmann’s key objectives is to nurture a “just” culture within the company. “What does it truly mean to have a ‘just’ culture?” he pondered. “It sounds simple, but implementing it daily is challenging.”
He aims to cultivate resilience in safety over the next five to ten years. Typically, the industry focuses on studying past mistakes to prevent recurrence, but Ruhmann suggests shifting the focus to what works and gathering positive data to maintain successes.
“We will always investigate individual incidents, but we’re also layering in concepts to boost safety resilience,” he shared. Ruhmann also plans to refine Boeing’s internal reporting system, known as Speak Up. After the recent incident, employees expressed a lack of trust in these channels, fearing repercussions for speaking out.
Ruhmann wants to reshape the Speak Up system to be recognized as the gold standard in the industry. “We need to own our mistakes and make the system trusted and utilized by all employees,” he emphasized.
Enhancing Risk Identification
Ruhmann’s team is responsible for establishing a Safety Management System (SMS) designed to help manage safety risks in aerospace manufacturing. The FAA has mandated that such systems must be in place by May 2027. Although Boeing voluntarily implemented SMS in 2020, feedback indicated that many frontline employees were unclear about their roles within the system.
The recent Alaska Airlines incident prompted Boeing to expedite its SMS initiatives. To meet the upcoming requirements, Ruhmann explained that Boeing needs to include three new elements: an organizational overview, employee feedback from the Speak Up channel, and a system for reporting hazards alongside airline customers and suppliers.
Boeing has already submitted the first two parts for FAA approval and is preparing to submit the last piece soon. “It’s like turning in your homework,” he remarked. Once everything is finalized, Boeing and the FAA will ensure that the system operates effectively.
Collaborating with Regulators
In a sign of growing confidence, the FAA recently restored Boeing’s authority to self-certify certain 737 Max and 787 planes. This authority had been revoked after the 737 Max crashes in 2019 and production issues with the 787 in 2022.
While this decision marks a potential shift in the FAA’s perspective on Boeing, Ruhmann noted that it won’t significantly alter their work dynamic. He described participating in collaborative inspections with the FAA, both in Renton, Washington, and Charleston, South Carolina, to ensure airworthiness.
“There’s nothing new for us as we’ve always worked together,” Ruhmann explained. Regarding the FAA’s decision, he emphasized that it resulted from ongoing discussions and shared data, not from a single pivotal meeting.
“This is a collaborative journey,” he concluded. “We continuously show our readiness and preparedness at every step.”
