SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Making It Personal

Every continuously-improving safety program will fail when employees are not involved in identifying and reporting safety hazards. Getting workers to participate in their aviation safety management system (SMS) is all about making the SMS personal. People care more about things that directly involve and matter to them.

An aviation safety manager functions as the primary bridge between an SMS implementation and the employees – he/she IS the force of “personal.”

The safety manager is responsible for influencing safety reporting cultures.

Do You Really Understand Safety Risk Controls?

FAA Part 5 - Safety Management Systems has a subtle, but important requirement stuck in subsection 5.25 Designation and responsibilities of required safety management personnel. There is a subsection that packs a dynamite punch that should leave most of you reeling with uncertainty.

This requirement is buried in the subsection 5.25 (c) Designation of management personnel and deals with monitoring the effectiveness of safety risk controls.

No Comparison to Pushing Paper by Hand

Most of us grew up using good old fashioned pen and paper for just about everything. In fact, for most things, I still prefer it over using my phone or computer.

It’s quick, it’s natural, it’s something we can touch and feel.

But frankly, comparing pen and paper methods to software for managing documentation requirements of formal aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS) is the difference between driving a trusted old pickup and a Formula 1 racing car.

ICAO Defines Interfaces in Aviation Operations

"Safety risks faced by service providers are affected by interfaces.

Interfaces can be either internal (e.g. between departments) or external (e.g. other service providers or contracted services,).

By identifying and managing these interfaces the service provider will have more control over any safety risks related to the interfaces."

ICAO Safety Management Manual (SMM), Document 9859 4th edition

Interfaces' Importance in Aviation SMS

What Are Interfaces in Aviation Operations?

Besides the expected airlines and airport operations, the interacting relationships across modern airports encompass many aviation industry segments, including:

• Ground handling companies;
• Fixed based operators (FBOs);
• AMOs;
• Security operations;
• Air traffic control;
• Charter operators; and
• Private operators.

Adequate Safety Promotion Is Scarce in Most Aviation SMS

Like safety training, safety promotion in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is wrought with rigid material that screams in so many ways, “tune me out!”

Much of the safety promotion information doled out at workplaces looks more like an IKEA how-to manual than serving as a tool to make employees cheer for, and feel as if they are true contributors to their aviation SMS.

Safety promotion is among the most important elements in every aviation SMS implementation.

Why Being a Safety Manager Is Tough

Being an aviation safety officer is an often unrewarding and challenging job. In many ways, an aviation safety manager is like a professional plate spinner balancing delicate interests and priorities, such as:

• Gaining management support for safety programs
• Overcoming resistance to change from management and general workforce
• Upholding transparency and Just Culture
• Maintaining objectivity

What Is Proactive Safety Culture in Aviation SMS

The purpose of an aviation safety management system (SMS) is to formally manage operational safety risk to as low as reasonably practical (ALARP). This objective will never be fully achieved unless aviation service providers maintain healthy safety reporting numbers.

In order to optimize safety reporting metrics, an operator must have a safety culture that continually promotes safety and encourages employees to report every potential safety issue, whether the issue is real or imagined. The rule of thumb should be "report everything and let the safety team determine the level of safety risk."

"Proactive safety culture" in aviation SMS simply denotes an operational environment whose employees and resources actively act upon likely safety concerns that have been identified and reported for risk management review.

Common Confusion Regarding Aviation SMS Training

Since November 2006, ICAO has mandated that aviation service providers implement formal aviation safety management systems (SMS). Among multiple operators that we have worked with, there has been confusion about:

• Who should participate in the aviation SMS;
• Who should receive SMS training;
• When must this training be delivered to employees;
• What topics must be covered in the SMS training;

The Importance of Data in Aviation SMS

Highly functioning aviation safety management systems (SMS) always have effective data acquisition and risk management practices. This is not the case of most nascent SMS implementations.

Monitoring SMS performance and spotting safety trends are not at the forefront of most safety managers' minds as they begin their SMS implementations.