Christopher Howell
Manage global operations for aviation safety management systems (SMS) software that facilitates regulatory compliance, such as ICAO, FAA, Transport Canada, IS-BAO.
Manage software engineering support efforts to local Alaska businesses. Assist in design, implementation, testing and documentation of complex, three-tier Windows applications relying heavily upon secure Web services technology.
Aviation Safety Audits Are Not for Just Airlines
Aviation safety managers must be prepared for a never-ending chain of audits. This is a fact of life, whether you are working at:
- Airlines;
- Airports;
- Ground handling companies;
- Flight schools; or
- Aviation maintenance organizations.
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Topics:
3-Safety Assurance
Aviation Safety Management System Symptoms and Underlying Causes
An aviation safety management system (SMS) functions almost like a living, breathing entity. The SMS' required safety assurance processes facilitate improvements through continual verification and follow-up actions. Regardless of your SMS maturity level, the SMS continually evolves.
Every SMS has many moving parts that work together to reduce risk and comply with regulatory requirements. These individual components can exhibit healthy signs, as well as symptoms of underlying problems.
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Topics:
2-Safety Risk Management
Why Passing an Aviation SMS Audit Is Critical
Over the past dozen years, an aviation SMS audit has become a necessary and commonly difficult task for:
- Airlines;
- Airports;
- Aviation maintenance organizations;
- ATC; and
- Flight schools.
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Topics:
3-Safety Assurance
Safety Managers Can Only Manage Hazards That Are Reported
Healthy aviation safety management systems (SMS) rely upon hazard reporting to reduce operational risk. High-performing safety reporting cultures receive approximately one report for every ten employees each month.
When safety managers have poor hazard reporting cultures, they have a more difficult time justifying aviation safety budgets. Furthermore, their collected data is skewed and inaccurate and basically useless for responsible decision-making.
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1-Safety Policy
What Is an Aviation Safety Management System (SMS)?
An aviation safety management system (SMS) has been repeatedly defined as a formal, systematic approach to managing safety, including necessary
- organizational structures,
- accountabilities,
- policies, and
- procedures.
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Topics:
Aviation SMS Implementation
What Is the Fuss about Management of Change?
Management of change in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is essential for managing operational or organizational change. Safety teams are typically involved in the management of change (MOC) exercises.
There is often confusion among new aviation safety managers when they are confronted with answering auditors' questions regarding MOC in their SMS. Best practices should always be reviewed when implementing your MOC workflow.
This article will briefly describe MOC and some preferred best practices.
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2-Safety Risk Management
Using Safety Key Performance Indicators in Your Aviation SMS
Most aviation safety professionals today are managing their aviation safety management systems (SMS) using automated tools. These full-featured SMS database tools allow safety managers to easily classify issues according to many criteria.
Safety managers benefit from using SMS databases because they can more easily analyze trends to bring pressing concerns to management.
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Topics:
Key Performance Indicators
The SMS Auditors Are Coming!
Aviation SMS audits are necessary to ensure aviation service providers comply with established guidelines. These established guidelines may come from:
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Topics:
3-Safety Assurance
Reactive and Proactive Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
Aviation safety managers are tasked to ensure that the safety risks encountered at their operations are controlled to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).
Modern aviation safety risk management includes:
- Hazard identification;
- Hazard reporting;
- Safety risk assessment; and
- Implementing appropriate control and recovery measures.
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Topics:
2-Safety Risk Management
What Is a Gap Analysis Used For
Both new and experienced aviation safety professionals sometimes have to ask themselves, what is a gap analysis and why am I using it?
The first thing anyone needs to understand about a gap analysis is that it is a process used by both new aviation safety management systems (SMS) and maturing SMS. This process is used by aviation service providers to determine:
- The current state of the SMS;
- The desired state of the SMS; and
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Topics:
3-Safety Assurance