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.
Importance of SMS Performance Monitoring Charts
Aviation safety charts gather and present aviation safety management system (SMS) information to stakeholders, who can then use this information to make informed, fact-based decisions. Well-designed safety charts can take a complex idea and make it easily understandable with a simple picture, table, chart, or graph. In this case, the "report" behind the safety chart could easily be worth more than a thousand words.
A common challenge accountable executives and senior management have is monitoring the performance of their implemented SMS.
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Topics:
Risk Management Software
Hazard Reporting Is Only the Beginning of Risk Management
Reporting hazards, incidents or accidents grabs considerable attention in every aviation safety and risk management system. Without reported data, safety managers would be unable to continuously improve systems' processes, which is a requirement in modern aviation safety management systems (SMS).
Before an "issue of concern" moves through the safety risk management process, the safety issue must be brought to the attention of a responsible manager, commonly called the safety manager or safety officer.
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Topics:
Risk Management Software
Audit-Worthy Aviation SMS Implementations Take Considerable Time
Aviation service providers never implement their required aviation safety management system (SMS) quickly. In most cases, it will take three to five years for a medium to a large aviation service provider to completely implement their SMS.
You may scrape by in the early stages by pencil-whipping SMS requirements into shape, but an SMS is more than policies and pretty, well-formatted aviation SMS manuals.
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Topics:
3-Safety Assurance
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.
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Topics:
2-Safety Risk Management
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;
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Topics:
2-Safety Risk Management
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.
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Topics:
3-Safety Assurance
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.
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Topics:
2-Safety Risk Management
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;
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Topics:
2-Safety Risk Management
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.
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Topics:
2-Safety Risk Management
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;
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Topics:
2-Safety Risk Management