Enhancing Aviation Safety: Expert Insights, Tips, and Updates from SMS-Pro

What Are the Safety Management System Databases?

In early 2007, when we started designing and developing SMS Pro, I was mildly surprised that many aviation safety managers called a Web application to manage aviation safety events a "safety management system" (SMS) database.

Safety Managers Suffer Common Problem Selecting Valuable KPIs

A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) measures how effectively aviation service providers are achieving key business or safety objectives. Civil aviation authorities also use KPIs to evaluate their success at reaching safety targets.

When focusing on safety, there is a tendency of some safety professionals to use the term "safety performance indicator" (SPI) to differentiate pure business metrics from safety metrics.

Aviation Safety Performance Begins at the Lowest Level

80% of aviation service providers have trouble getting employees to participate in aviation safety management systems (SMS).

Most safety managers accept this challenge and strive to implement consistent safety promotion activities, such as

What Is an Organizational Chart's Purpose in Aviation SMS?

A professional, task-driven safety manager has been assigned to implement an airline or airport's safety program. Under "safety policy" one section of the safety manual requires an Organizational Chart.

Problem of Aviation SMS Entirely Left to Safety Managers

For many aviation service providers, implementing and sustaining aviation safety management system (SMS) remains the sole province of the safety managers. This is true whether you are an:

• Airline
• Airport;
• Aviation maintenance organization (AMO or MRO);

Safety Performance Monitoring in Aviation SMS

Most safety professionals have a common-sense perception about how to monitor the safety performance of their aviation safety management system (SMS). After all, isn't safety performance monitoring just a fancy phrase for setting goals and tracking them?

SMS Trend Developing Aimed at Smaller Operations

Some countries (Australia and soon Canada) now require even the smaller aviation service providers to participate in safety management system (SMS) activities. This creates multiple challenges for these non-complex operators.

For starters, there is high resistance to change in the cultures of these non-complex operations, most of which never experienced severe losses, such as fatalities or complete loss of aircraft.

Recurrent SMS Training Expenses Outweigh Benefits?

Aviation service providers investing in aviation safety management systems (SMS) can expect to reduce

• fatalities,
• injuries, and
• illnesses.

These reductions save providers in a variety of ways, such as

• lower insurance costs;
• lower equipment replacement costs;
• reduced medical expenses from workers' compensation claims,
• avoiding regulatory penalties,
• reducing costs to train replacement employees, and
• conducting accident investigations.

Aviation SMS Implementations Follow Forked Path

Since November 2006, operators inadvertently followed a forked path while implementing required aviation safety management systems (SMS). In some cases, they made conscious choices, but in most cases, the path they chose was forced upon them due to imperfect information.

Duties & Responsibilities Shape Behaviors

This is an exciting article. We share concrete tips and tricks to modify your aviation safety management system (SMS) in this Advanced Aviation SMS series. To date, this advanced series has been focused on a financial business theory supported by science and technology.