SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Safety Culture More Than Policies and Procedures

In some places within the aviation industry, people believe that “safety culture” looks like a lot of rules and regulations. It looks like “the man” or a bunch of nerdy pencil pushers.

I don’t believe that’s what our safety culture does or should look like. I believe safety cultures in the aviation industry can look like so much more.

A Reporting Culture Is a Just Culture

Workers’ participation in aviation safety management systems (SMS) comes down to one word: reporting.

When workers are reporting, it demonstrates three things:

• That they trust the SMS that is in place
• Cultivation of Just Culture in the workplace
• That the aviation safety officer is doing his job well

How Money Can Affect the Way We Think about Safety

I find myself being an unsafe pilot all of the time, and so do many other pilots. Not in the sense of breaking safety regulations, such as flight and duty times, but by pushing personal limits.

Sometimes we pilots slander the IMSAFE checklist and push it to the side when preparing for a flight knowing:

Aviation Safety Promotion Activities Don't Have to Cost Much

Every aviation safety program is on a budget and incorporating safety programs can sometimes be costly, but there are some ways to keep safety as a priority without spending a dime, such as

• Developing a training program with integrated safety training;
• Encouraging an environment of positive peer influence; and
• Providing an outlet for anonymous reporting of incidents.

These are just a few, inexpensive ways to promote safety at flight schools or any other aviation service provider. Safety promotion is about communication and training. Employees must be trained in hazard identification and the organization's safety reporting processes. Otherwise, the aviation safety management system (SMS) will not work as designed.

Safety Management Systems Bore Most Employees

Unlike those who study and create safety management systems (SMS), to the average employee these programs can be boring.

It’s not that the average employees don’t value safety, it’s just that they need to see how these programs are beneficial to them personally.

So how can we change our safety culture and encourage participation in aviation safety management systems? Below are six ideas on how to get people involved:

Benefits of Showing Employees That Your SMS Is Effective

Showing employees that your SMS is effective is simply building your case for the SMS. That being said, there are several prerequisites for being able to show employees that your SMS is effective:

Aviation Safety Leadership Is NOT Safety Management

Aviation safety managers and departments heads are tasked with delivering aviation safety management AND safety leadership capabilities.

“Leadership” and “management” are often used interchangeably both in speech and action, but contrary to common practice they are NOT the same thing.

The Goal of Good Safety Newsletters

The first and foremost goal of an aviation safety newsletter is safety promotion for an organization's aviation safety management system (SMS). Which, put more simply, means creating an interest and awareness in anything safety.

More broadly, safety promotion is a method of shifting focus towards aviation safety to encourage and train employees to identify hazards and report safety issues.

What are Responsibility, Confidentiality, and Privacy in Aviation Safety Management

In aviation safety management, responsibility, confidentiality, and privacy are the triad that affect how you handle reported safety information. Whether your organization is large or small, your leadership team needs to discuss these factors and decide how to handle them.

Quality Leadership Stimulates Teamwork

A mature, effective aviation safety management system (SMS) will always incorporate imaginative ways to stimulate teamwork and good communication between employees.

It’s a tricky area though because teamwork and communication are beset by:

• Poor interpersonal relationships;
• Different teamwork needs;
• Cultural differences; and
• Separate problem-solving strategies