SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

The Money Hungry Industry of Aviation

From what I have gathered over the years, every company seems to operate in the same way, money before safety.

Companies will think to themselves “How can I make money while still being safe?”

The problem with this mindset is that the word money comes first. If it were switched to say “How can I be the safest while still making money?” there wouldn’t be much of a problem.

Procedures at Heart of Aviation Safety Management

I currently just finished my freshman year at San Diego Christian College (SDCC) enrolled as an aviation major seeking a career in commercial aviation. SDCC employs a third party whom they rent aircraft and employ instructors from.

If I have learned one thing from my first year of training, it is that policies and procedures are everything, that is, they are more important than most people readily consider during everyday flight operations.

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.

• It should look more like a community.
• It should look like a team.
• It should look like a family.

Aviation Is Risky Business

Aviation, like any business, has elements of risk.

Whether it is a safety issue or a cost issue, the risk is very much a part of the aviation industry's past, present, and future.

I believe it takes a certain kind of person to be successful in aviation risk management.

Yet what does success look like for an aviation safety professional?

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:

• we did not sleep well the night before,
• have not eaten very nutritiously lately, and
• have been in class far too long to be in a plane for multiple hours.

Aviation Safety Policy Influences Safety Assurance

Our global economy relies heavily on aviation SMS safety assurance activities to be carried out dutifully by aviation service providers.

The aviation industry is responsible for safely transporting goods and people all over the world.

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.

Good Aviation Safety Management Practices

A Safety Management System (SMS) is a system that is composed of various policies, processes, procedures, and practices adopted and implemented to improve the overall safety of an organization.

Management is responsible for implementing, maintaining, and making sure that SMS processes are carried out. I believe a good aviation safety management practice works hand-in-hand with the ethical standards of an organization.

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.

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

• What already exists
• What’s missing

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.

This is epitomized by the life of this former astronaut.