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

Why Being a Safety Manager Is Tough

Being an aviation safety officer is an often unrewarding and challenging job. In many ways, an aviation safety manager is like a professional plate spinner balancing delicate interests and priorities,

Common Confusion Regarding Aviation SMS Training

Since November 2006, ICAO has mandated that aviation service providers implement formal aviation safety management systems (SMS). Among multiple operators that we have worked with, there has been confusion about:

• Who should participate in the aviation SMS;
• Who should receive SMS training;

The Importance of Data in Aviation SMS

Highly functioning aviation safety management systems (SMS) always have effective data acquisition and risk management practices. This is not the case for most nascent SMS implementations.

What Is Risk Analysis in Aviation SMS?

Unless you are new to aviation safety management systems (SMS), safety professionals recognize that the objective of aviation SMS is to:

• Proactively manage safety using documented risk management processes;
• Identify potential operational safety hazards;
• Evaluate risk;
• Implement control measures that mitigate identified risk; and

What Is a Flight Risk Assessment Tool

A flight risk assessment tool, commonly known as FRAT, is a very important element of your SMS program.

Every flight has risks and hazards.

Using a FRAT tool helps airline SMS programs evaluate reviews and identify those risks.

How Much Risk Are You Taking On?

How much risk are you willing to accept?

This is one of the most critical questions that every aviation service provider needs to answer. The answer will influence every single risk management activity in the operator's aviation safety management system (SMS).

Winter Is Coming - Move Fatigue Upward in Hazard Register

The Northern Hemisphere is blanketed in winter, which involves, cold, ice, many long nights, and grey days.

For human fatigue that means two things:

• More melatonin production
• Seasonal depression

Winter fatigue is a real, medically proven problem that affects many people.

Purpose of Continuous Improvement in Safety Assurance Pillar

In every aviation safety management system (SMS), the accountable executive is responsible for ensuring the SMS is properly implemented and performing in all areas of the organization. The intent is not for the aviation SMS to reach some ideal "plateau of safety" and then maintain the "ideal safety level." Far from it!

Safety Promotion as an Aviation SMS Pillar

Since November 2006, ICAO mandated that aviation service providers implement formal aviation safety management systems (SMS). The objective of the aviation SMS is to:

• Proactively manage safety,
• Identify potential hazards,
• Determine operational risk,

What Is Safety Assurance in Aviation SMS

For an aviation safety management system (SMS) to be effective, the SMS must be monitored to assure managers and regulatory authorities that the SMS is both

• implemented correctly, and
• working as designed.