SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

What You Need to Know about Aviation SMS Implementation Plans

If you are reading this, chances are you have just begun implementing your aviation safety management systems (SMS). Or, you would like to see how your implementation plan stacks up against the suggested process for creating an implementation plan.

Either way, the important things you need to know about aviation SMS implementation plans are that they:

Benefits of Aviation SMS for Flight Schools

Flight schools operate with many risky hazards every day.

Students are inexperienced, usually younger, and are new to technology and hazards of flying.

Moreover, the pressure that students undergoing flight training feel to perform well naturally makes them less prepared to identify hazards early on.

Characteristics of a Sustainable SMS Implementation

Sustainability is a modern buzz word, and aviation safety management systems (SMS) are no exception. Sustainable SMS implementations are those that survive

• upper management personnel changes,
• safety manager changes, and
• high volume of employee turnover.

The question every safety manager and/or upper manager needs to ask is, does my SMS implementation achieve these sustainable goals?

Chances are, the answer is no – not yet. That’s okay. Aviation SMS implementations are always a work in progress.

Implementations are long, drawn-out marathons, not sprints. There will be times of steady progress; however, most SMS implementations will also suffer setbacks. How does your company identify these obstacles? What is your plan for dealing with these common scenarios should they plague your aviation SMS?

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.

Bringing Life to a System

It’s easy to get lost in the bureaucracy side of aviation safety management systems' (SMS):

• Policies and procedures;
• Safety accountabilities;
• SMS training;
• Risk management processes;
• Management of change;
• SMS documentation requirements;
• Demonstrating continuous improvement;
• And so on

Idle Time Doesn’t Have to Be Dreaded

Aviation safety managers are hardworking professionals, and their daily work schedules can be hectic, challenging, and extremely busy. But for many safety officers – and I’m guessing you may be one of them – there may be times when things become pretty quiet on the "SMS front", as if everything is under control...finally. And a big sigh of relief comes.

Then you suddenly find yourself rubbing your hands together, wondering how to best spend your time. What can I do to add value to our aviation safety management system (SMS)?

Should I work on strengthening our safety culture? or

Maybe I should tidy up the SMS' documentation so an auditor won't have any concerns about how our reported safety issues have been treated?

Safety Benefits of Aviation Safety Management Systems

The most obvious benefits of implementing an aviation safety management system (SMS) are the marked improvements in safety.

Just to give you an idea of exactly how successful aviation SMS implementations have been, the only statistic you need to know is that 20 years ago there were four times as many workplace accidents as last year.

Why Small Operators Need Safety Management Systems

Aviation safety management systems (SMS) are not just for large airlines and airports with high traffic volumes.

Small aviation service providers are in just as much need of implementing formal aviation SMS as are larger operations. All operators use the same SMS implementation guidelines as larger operators; however, they are not evaluated equally, as larger operators logically fall under higher regulator scrutiny than smaller operators, as the volume of their business implies greater risk.

Of course, small and large service providers will have different strategies for satisfying regulatory requirements, but the same principles and benefits of safety management systems apply for both large and small aviation service providers.

Four Pillars of Safety Management Systems (SMS)

In 2006, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) required safety management system (SMS) implementation for most commercial aviation service providers. The list of required service providers has been expanded in recent years to include:

Disadvantaged Part-Time Safety Managers

Incredible challenges assail aviation safety managers at smaller operations who are implementing aviation safety management systems (SMS). In short, their organizational size and make-up present a very real hazard that must be recognized and mitigated.