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

Stu Martin

Stu Martin is an accomplished aerospace safety engineer with over 25 years of experience in the aviation industry. Beginning his career on the ramp, Stu developed a hands-on understanding of aircraft operations, maintenance, and safety protocols. His journey from ground operations to engineering has equipped him with a unique perspective on aviation safety, blending practical expertise with technical rigor. Stu has contributed to numerous safety initiatives, including the development of risk assessment frameworks and incident investigation protocols, earning recognition for his commitment to enhancing operational safety. A respected voice in the field, he continues to advocate for robust safety cultures within aviation organizations worldwide.
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Recent Posts

Why Safety Promotion Component Is the Overlooked Pillar in Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Nov 4, 2019 5:03:00 AM

What Is Safety Promotion Component of 4 Pillars?

Aviation safety management systems (SMS) have been required by most aviation service providers since the November 2006 ICAO mandate. To add structure to SMS implementations and to educate safety professionals, ICAO provides SMS implementation guidance in the form of a Safety Management Manual (SMM),

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Topics: 4-Safety Promotion

5 Questions to Improve Risk Management Decision Making Processes

Posted by Stu Martin on Oct 30, 2019 5:59:00 AM

What Risk Management Decisions Are

Risk management decision-making processes will dictate the success of your aviation safety management system (SMS). Period.

Every change, no matter how small, arises from a risk management decision. Decision-making processes in risk management programs are often seen as a formal,

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

Conducting Investigations in Aviation SMS Risk Management Scenarios

Posted by Stu Martin on Oct 28, 2019 6:00:00 AM

Importance of Investigations in Aviation Risk Management

Investigations are the cornerstone of quality assurance efforts in aviation safety management systems (SMS). They are an attempt to answer why and how safety events occur.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

How to Sustain an SMS Implementation (With Free Resources)

Posted by Stu Martin on Oct 23, 2019 6:10:00 AM

Characteristics of a Sustainable SMS Implementation

Sustainability is a modern buzz word, and aviation safety management systems (SMS) are no exception. Sustainable SMS implementations are those that survive

  • upper management personnel changes,
  • safety manager changes, and
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Topics: Aviation SMS Implementation

5 Outcomes for Risk Analysis Activities in Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Oct 21, 2019 6:08:00 AM

Perform Risk Analysis to Meet Oversight Compliance Expectations

It hardly needs to be said that performing risk analysis in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is absolutely essential. There are many opportunities in the aviation SMS' risk management processes for safety professionals and operational department heads to determine

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

What Are Important Activities in Safety Risk Management (SRM)?

Posted by Stu Martin on Oct 16, 2019 6:03:00 AM

What Is Safety Risk Management in Aviation SMS?

Depending on the context and your educational background, safety risk management in aviation safety management systems (SMS) can mean a couple of different things:

  1. Second component of ICAO's four pillars; and
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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

What Are Stages of Safety Events as Defined by FAA

Posted by Stu Martin on Oct 14, 2019 5:51:00 AM

Stages of Safety Events With FAA vs. Others

Regulatory oversight agencies in various countries/regions possess inconsistent definitions for:

  • hazards,
  • risks, and
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Topics: FAA Compliance

How to Use Safety Surveys to Improve Safety Culture in Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Oct 9, 2019 2:12:00 PM

Safety Survey Benefits Run Deep

Surveys seem a bit old-fashioned. That’s probably because they are.

Surveys have been around and popular for years. Safety surveys have many uses besides getting the opinions of the workforce.

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Topics: 4-Safety Promotion

Safety Chart: Visually Presenting Aviation SMS KPIs - With Free KPI Resources

Posted by Stu Martin on Oct 2, 2019 6:00:00 AM

Why KPI Charts Matter

The main continuous improvement activities for maturing aviation safety management systems (SMS) following an ICAO-compliant SMS implementation include developing:

  • key safety performance indicators (KPIs); and
  • safety goal and objectives tied to KPIs.
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Topics: Key Performance Indicators

Relationship Between Management of Change, SA Process, and SRM Process

Posted by Stu Martin on Sep 30, 2019 5:45:00 AM

What Change Management Is in Safety Management Systems

Change management in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is an extremely important topic. Formal processes to manage change have become important not just for safety performance, but also for demonstrating to SMS auditors that your company knows how to formally manage change as your operations are exposed to changing environmental conditions.

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

Site content provided by Northwest Data Solutions is meant for informational purposes only. Opinions presented here are not provided by any civil aviation authority or standards body.

 

 

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