SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

How Do You Talk About Aviation Safety Risk Management

Aviation safety managers have jobs that others may find unrewarding, or difficult for them to witness results. The safety manager may spend years performing routine "safety manager stuff," while others may wonder: "just what do you do around here?"

Plan Continuation Bias for the Layman

Several years ago NASA analyzed pilots' actions from 19 airline accidents from the viewpoint of "real-time" - i.e. during the flight and without hindsight bias. NASA found that the primary cause of the accidents was something they called "plan continuation bias."

For those of you who aren't unfamiliar with this concept, the premise is this: when you have "someplace to get to" you tend to ignore your environment.

What Is Predictive Risk Management?

In aviation safety management systems (SMS), risk management professionals toss around three common terms:

• reactive risk management;
• proactive risk management; and
• predictive risk management.

Benefits of Automated SMS Training for Initial and Recurrent Training Requirements

During the implementation of formal aviation safety management systems (SMS), service providers are expected to develop and deliver SMS training to employees in every implementation phase except the first phase. For example:

• Phase II: Deliver training relevant to reactive risk management processes;
• Phase III: Deliver training relevant to reactive risk management processes; and
• Phase IV: Develop training relevant to operational safety assurance.

Most Important Items for Starting SMS Implementation

If you are reading this article, chances are that you either already have started implementing an aviation safety management system (SMS), or you are considering an SMS implementation.

Cyber Security in Aviation SMS Data Management

Technology has made aviation safety management systems (SMS) much easier to manage as a whole. Furthermore, this formal, structured approach to manage safety has undeniably contributed to system safety.

Technology is wonderful. It has been changing our lives at an unprecedented rate, and we can easily see how it has positively affected the aviation industry.

FAA’s Safety Risk Management (SRM) Process and System Description Element

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) safety risk management (SRM) compliance requirement for System Description has one clear goal: establish the components of your operating environment’s

• systems,
• processes,
• procedures, and
• important safety elements.

Despite the fact that the goal is clear, system description is too often skimmed over by safety teams during their initial implementation phase of their aviation safety management systems (SMS). This is a mistake.

Why is this element of SRM often skimmed over?

What Are We Really Talking About?

In aviation safety management systems (SMS), the best indicator of a highly performant safety culture isn’t one that has reduced operational risk close to zero, but one that readily adapts to and absorbs safety issues and disturbances as they arise.

Aviation SMS Implementations Are Result of Many Small Actions

The process of aviation safety management systems (SMS), simply put, is the conglomeration of many small actions on the part of safety management teams, operational managers and employees.

Management Incentives to Know If Aviation SMS Management Is Efficient

Every person in a company should be concerned if their aviation safety management system (SMS) management is efficient and working as designed.

Management efficiency in aviation SMS implementations has significant stakes for everyone in the organization, as well as customers who use the company’s services.