SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Data Mining Is the Foundation of Predictive Risk Management

Predictive risk management is one of the primary goals of an aviation safety management system (SMS). Predictive risk management allows operators to identify safety issues and spot trends before they result in a

• near-miss,
• incident, or
• accident.

Safety Managers Are Dedicated Lot

Aviation safety managers are among the best people I've ever worked with. What does this tell you? Maybe my exposure is severely limited?

During my life, I've worked a lot with:

• Military officers;
• Loggers;
• Oilfield workers;
• Government bureaucrats;

Objectives of Aviation Quality and Safety Management Systems

The objective of an aviation quality management system (QMS) is to continually improve the level of customer satisfaction by meeting their needs.

The objective of a safety management system (SMS) is to also continually improve, but instead of focusing on customer satisfaction, an SMS program focuses on stakeholders' safety, both real and perceived.

Hazard Identification Training and Safety Reporting in Aviation SMS

Hazard identification training and safety reporting can be seen as the beginning of the aviation risk management cycle in aviation safety management systems (SMS).

Is this the first step in the aviation risk management life-cycle? We shouldn't say this because employees and stakeholders reporting safety issues must be trained on what type of safety reports management wishes to process.

SMS' Risk Management Seldom Reaches Full Potential

Risk management processes in aviation safety management systems (SMS) offer service providers structure for:

• Hazard identification;
• Hazard reporting;
• Risk quantification;
• Evaluation of risk controls;
• Safety performance monitoring; and
• Investigations of both reported safety issues and foreseeable hazards.

Changes Are Delicate

The systems, procedures, and regulations of aviation service providers are as multifaceted as just about any industry in the world. We can imagine it as a house of cards, where all of the various elements lean on each other to form what we know as the aviation industry.

The aviation industry has matured significantly in the past one hundred years since the first scheduled airline flight in 1914. Change is inevitable.

Poor Safety Reporting Cultures Invite Opportunities for Loss

Safety reports from aviation service providers' employees are important resources for the detection and prevention of potential safety hazards. One of the biggest challenges for aviation safety managers is to obtain safety reports from employees.

Obstacles that contribute to this challenge are common:

• Difficult reporting processes;
• No hazard identification training;
• Lack of recurring encouragement;

How Well Do You Understand Risk Management in Your SMS?

Aviation safety managers are tasked with managing all aspects of fully implemented aviation safety management systems (SMS). Naturally, most laypersons imagine safety managers reacting to accidents, incidents, and irregularities (issues or events) as their primary job function.

It is also probable that most managers outside the safety department

What Are the Best Practices for Establishing Safety Accountabilities?

One of the first steps in implementing an aviation safety management system (SMS) is to complete the documentation elements in the Safety Policy and Objectives component of an ICAO compliant SMS.

Please note that I said "one of the first steps." Before tackling these documentation elements, we recommend that you first:

Most Aviation SMS Suffer From Employee Apathy

Have you been tasked to implement your aviation safety management program (SMS) at your company?

Or perhaps you have inherited a "paper SMS" or one that is dysfunctional?

One of the most common challenges safety managers face is to secure buy-in from all employees to support the SMS both during

• the planning and implementation phases; and
• mature safety assurance phases.