What Biology Labs Can Learn from Aviation Safety: Luca Filippo’s Insights
A minor slip. A small cut. One simple mistake and the consequences could ripple far beyond expectation.
In biological research labs, this isn’t an exaggeration, it’s the daily reality. Yet, unlike aviation or nuclear industries, many labs still treat safety as a checklist rather than a culture. Luca Filippo noticed this gap and is turning it into an opportunity for meaningful change in biosafety.
From Helicopters to Hazardous Materials
Luca’s passion for flying started young, he earned his helicopter license even before being legally allowed to drive a car. But alongside piloting, he developed an obsession with safety, inspired by Brazil’s emerging aviation safety management systems (SMS).
While many were counting flight hours, Luca studied risk models, accident trends, and systems theory. His goal was clear: understand why things fail and prevent incidents before they occur. That dedication led him to Europe’s largest business aviation operator, and later to Canada, where he now applies aviation safety principles to biological labs.
Why Labs Need a New Approach to Safety
Aviation doesn’t ask, “Who made the mistake?”, it asks, “Where did the system fail?”
In lab environments, this mindset is less common. Biological labs are complex and high stakes, yet many lack the structured safety culture that has long protected aviation professionals. Luca highlights the stakes: “In aviation, a slip might bruise your ego. In a lab, a slip with a pathogen could have serious consequences.”
This perspective reshaped his thinking. While he once questioned models connecting minor incidents to major accidents, he now sees their relevance in biosafety: even small lapses can cascade into significant risks.
Building a Systematic Safety Culture
Luca isn’t reinventing safety, he’s adapting proven tools from aviation for lab use:
- Comprehensive hazard analysis
- Safety management systems (SMS)
- Root cause investigation practices
- Human factors and error management training
Implementing these strategies doesn’t just protect people, it changes how they approach safety. In modern labs, safety becomes a proactive, anticipatory system rather than a reactive policy.
Transitioning Between Fields
Shifting from cockpits to containment labs required humility and curiosity. Luca’s advice for professionals considering similar leaps:
- Listen more than you speak
- Adopt safety frameworks that resonate with your team
- Adapt practices instead of copying them wholesale
By tailoring aviation safety principles for labs, he ensures they are both practical and relevant to fast paced, unpredictable research environments.
Bottom Line: Embed Safety, Don’t Add It
Whether navigating the skies or handling live cultures, the lesson is clear: safety isn’t a poster, it’s a system.
Don’t wait for an incident to rethink your protocols. If a helicopter pilot can elevate lab safety standards, your team can bring aviation level safety thinking into everyday lab practice.
