SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

What Is Risk Assessment in SMS

Risk Assessments in aviation safety management systems (SMS) are how you qualify, quantify, and rank risk exposure for:

• Reported safety issues;
• Audit findings and concerns; and
• Risk scenarios (consequences) associated with identified hazards.

Risk assessments are absolutely central to decision-making in SMS, as all actions performed on the safety issue depend on the initial and subsequent risk assessments.

Importance Monitoring Root Causes in Aviation SMS

Monitoring the performance of aviation safety management systems (SMS) is a common activity for safety managers and upper management alike. Furthermore, in every SMS, the accountable executive is responsible for directing actions to correct substandard safety performance whenever it is detected.

How is substandard safety performance detected in your organization?

How does management know which operational areas require additional risk mitigation measures?

Why Review Safety Policy & Objectives in Aviation SMS Programs?

Aviation safety managers share many common traits, including:

• detail oriented;
• hard driven;
• professional;
• self-starters (high initiative); and
• good communicators.

Definition of Safety Culture in Aviation Risk Management

Safety culture in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is usually defined as being the safety attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and values of employees in an organization. Unfortunately, such a high-level, conceptual definition of safety culture does not help safety manager address core personnel challenges in your organization's SMS.

In much of the SMS guidance material pushed out by regulatory agencies and standards-setting bodies, such as ICAO's document 9859 Safety Management Manual,

Understanding Safety Terms Remains Important

We write every day about topics relating to aviation safety management systems (SMS), yet we have always taken for granted that you know what is aviation safety?

Deep down, most of us have an idea about safety. We can logically expand a safety definition to encompass the aviation industry. Yet this takes work to consider the broad implications. I've taken a few moments to discuss what is aviation safety since I've never defined it in the past.

I'm hoping to share a few insights and I am also hoping that other industry experts will expand upon this often-overlooked definition.

Why You Need to Know the Difference Between Hazards, Risks, and Controls

Aviation management personnel and employees who truly understand the differences between hazards, risks, and different types of controls are more effective at preventing accidents and reducing costs related to preventable accidents and incidents.

Furthermore, hazards and risks are most commonly misunderstood by safety managers who need to either create or review their company's hazard and risk registers.

Can you easily tell another employee the difference between a hazard and a risk?

What Are Components of Risk Matrix

During the issue management life-cycle, safety managers commonly conduct initial and residual risk assessments on reported issues. In most cases, the risk is a combination of both:

• Probability (frequency), and
• Severity (consequences).

Occasionally, you will see organizations that also include "exposure" as a third dimension to their risk assessment.

Do We All Know What Is Aviation Safety Management?

Aviation service providers coordinate materials and activities of their core business model in order to achieve desired objectives. These objectives vary by industry segment type, including:

• Manufacturing;
• Aircraft maintenance;
• Transporting cargo and passengers;
• Aircraft fueling operations;
• Baggage and ramp handling services;

Aviation SMS Require Regular Safety Communications

Routine work may dull your alertness.

Careless or inattentive attitudes may soon replace the caution that existed when your job was new and interesting.

Without some periodic reawakening to the ever-present hazards in the aviation environment, lethargy deepens, and chances of accidents occurring increase without us even being aware of the risk.

You may not always recognize the importance of recurring safety training. Yet, this training benefits us all in many ways.

Budget and Experience for Aviation Safety Management Systems

Airlines, airports, and maintenance organizations are still trying to understand the requirements of ICAO's mandated aviation safety management systems (SMS) that are outlined in Document 9859 Safety Management Manual (SMM).

Fully implemented aviation SMS programs require considerable work to implement AND maintain. If you are like most aviation service providers, your company is trying to implement a multi-year project on a shoestring budget.