Evolito (FIA2026 Partner Blog)
Hands-on training is strengthening safety culture in aerospace
At Evolito, we believe that exceptional aerospace products are built on more than engineering excellence alone. They are the result of deep technical expertise, robust industrial processes, trusted partnerships, and a highly engaged team.
These four pillars shape how we design, develop, and deliver electric propulsion and generation systems. And at the centre of all four is a strong, shared commitment to product safety.
But how do we achieve that? We use Lego!
How LEGOTM model building can be used to improve product safety
By Dr. Richard Shepherd, Head of Airworthiness and Safety Manager at Evolito.
Establishing a safety culture
From the beginning of Evolito, we recognised that a strong safety culture and a shared understanding of product safety would be essential. To reinforce this, everyone in the company attends a mandatory annual one day safety training course led by our Head of Airworthiness.
In the 2025 programme, we focused on how we identify risks and establish controls, barriers, or mitigations to prevent malfunctions from leading to hazards. We used the late James Reason’s Swiss Cheese Model to illustrate a key principle: no barrier is perfect. Over time, each control can develop weaknesses or “holes”, and safety depends on having multiple, well maintained barriers to prevent those holes from aligning. Maintaining vigilance and continuously strengthening these defences is how we deliver safe products.
Why do these flaws appear? Many safety controls rely on human action and judgement. While we never come to work intending to make mistakes, human error is inevitable, influenced by a set of common Human Factors often referred to as the “Dirty Dozen”, developed by Gordon Dupont:
- Lack of Communication
- Complacency
- Lack of Knowledge
- Distraction
- Lack of Teamwork
- Fatigue
- Lack of Resources
- Pressure
- Lack of Assertiveness
- Stress
- Lack of Awareness
- Norms
During the course, we raise awareness of these factors so staff understand how everyday conditions can increase the likelihood of slips, lapses, mistakes, or violations.
Using LEGO to Demonstrate Human Factors
Each year we will focus on 2 of the Dirty Dozen. In last year’s course, we focused particularly on two of the Dirty Dozen: Lack of Communication and Lack of Awareness. To bring these concepts to life—and to re energise the room after lunch—we asked teams to build LEGO Formula 1 cars using intentionally imperfect instructions. The instructions communicate “Work as Imagined”, while the build process represented “Work as Done”.
As expected, the teams struggled. Instructions were ambiguous, key details were missing, and participants had to rely on judgement or trial and error. Most groups completed the task, but with inconsistent results—such as aerodynamic floor panels fitted in the wrong location.
This exercise effectively highlighted several important lessons:
• How easily incorrect assumptions arise when instructions are unclear.
• How designs or documents created far from the point of use can fail to reflect real world challenges.
• How communication gaps lead to variation, inefficiency, and error.
• Why it’s essential for those doing the work to pause and question unclear instructions rather than “muddle through.”
Impact
Of all the group activities we have used over the years, this LEGO exercise generated the most positive feedback. It actively engaged everyone and provided a safe, risk free environment where participants could experience firsthand how simple misunderstandings and weak communication can lead to unintended outcomes.
By making the principles of the Swiss Cheese Model tangible, we reinforced why robust processes, clear communication, and heightened situational awareness are critical in an aerospace design organisation—where even small errors can have significant consequences.
Meet us at Farnborough International Airshow
If you’re attending Farnborough International Airshow, join our Tech Talk on Wednesday 22nd July, where you can hear Richard’s insights on designing for certification and ask your questions to one of the industry's certification experts. Or meet our team and get hands-on with our products at the Evolito stand 1007 in Hall 1.
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