Threat and Error Management (TEM) has been taught alongside CRM for some time. In simple terms it can be defined as thinking ahead in order to predict and avoid errors and operational threats, and manage any that occur.

An everyday example for many of us would be the practice of defensive driving, and anybody who has done a driving or hazard perception test recently will recognise some of the concepts.

Research in medicine and aviation has found evidence that strong leadership, inquiry, management of workload and automated systems, has correlated with fewer mismanaged errors. Pilots that develop contingency plans have fewer mismanaged threats - a sentiment that will be familiar to us in the winter mountains where having plans A, B and C provide a strong starting point.