SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

What Is A Hazard Reporting System

A hazard reporting system encompasses the processes and resources your employees will use to reporting concerns.

The implication here is that your hazard reporting system is the primary means by which you will acquire feedback from operations (acquire data) and improve your SMS.

What are Goals for Best Practices of Hazard Reporting

Knowing best practices for hazard reporting in SMS is an attempt to better attain the goals of hazard reporting.

What are the goals of hazard reporting?

There are three main objectives:

What Is a Gap Analysis?

As I researched SMS and what it means and how to implement one, the gap analysis kept coming up as something I needed more information on.

As first it seemed intimidating, but it's exactly what it sounds like; a tool to identify:

• What already exists
• What’s missing
• What steps need to be taken

In other words, it identifies the gap between existing processes and a functional SMS. Identifying these gaps allows us to create a road map to implementation.

What is Aviation Safety Policy

An aviation Safety Policy is a document in safety management systems that outlines:

• What your organization’s safety value are;
• What safety commitments your organization is willing to make; and
• What the important resources are that employees can use to behave safely (policies, procedures, accountabilities).

Practicing vs Verifying SMS Continuous Improvement

It’s important to make the distinction between the

• practicing of continuous improvement and
• verifying that continuous improvement is happening.

How Risk Management Depends on Managers and Employees

As the former Commander of the International Space Station, it is not surprising that in interviews, Chris Hadfield often stresses the importance of effective risk management.  Whether for career or pleasure, every aviator experiences a considerable level of risk in their operational environment. 

What is an Internal Aviation SMS Audit

An internal aviation SMS audit is how you evaluate any part of your SMS.

On the one hand, you use such audits to ensure that certain actions are taking place in your SMS, such as SRM operations or continuous improvement.

What is Aviation SMS Safety Policy

An aviation Safety Policy is a document in safety management systems that outlines the core, important safety information that underlies your SMS.

It is the canon for your SMS.

The Tone Your Aviation Safety Training Should Have

Airports and airlines are busy places. Many inexperienced and experienced pilots and other personnel can be found hurrying about completing their tasks and missions.  In such conditions, as in all aviation settings, a good safety culture is essential. 

Success Isn’t Guaranteed

Regardless of the size or complexity of your organization, every aviation service provider recognizes that risk exists in the operation due to the nature of the industry and ever-changing environment. There are no aviation safety products or processes that will totally insulate you from risk.

Every intelligent person recognizes that an aviation safety management system (SMS) will not ensure that you will be more successful. You may still experience loss. This loss may be:

• Revenue
• Lives
• Productivity
• Business

Are you the type of operator that counts your losses as part of doing business?

Do you have time-tested processes that assure successful operations? Or perhaps you are counting on a combination of factors, such as your "time-tested processes" and an SMS manual or safety database to insulate yourself from regulatory scrutiny?

Over the years, I have seen a problem regarding the adoption of aviation safety products that were designed to increase success.