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

How to Review Safety Issues in SMS Programs

Posted by Stu Martin on Jan 22, 2025 6:00:00 AM

Which Issues Should Be Reviewed?

Different organizations will have different requirements when they review safety issues. Whether or not you are reviewing low-risk issues is up to you. While we recommend reviewing all issues, the reality is that due to time and resource constraints, this is not always feasible.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

What Your Emergency Response Plan Should Include

Posted by Stu Martin on Jan 15, 2025 6:00:00 AM

What Is an Emergency Response Plan (ERP)

The actions employees take immediately in response to an emergency will greatly affect the outcome of the emergency. In such situations, employees’ actions may largely be the deciding factor between catastrophic consequences and a scary but benign outcome.

Consequences can be

  • financial,
  • environment,
  • material, or
  • personal (i.e.) loss of life.
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Topics: Quality-Safety Management

How to Use Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) in Aviation Safety Management

Posted by Stu Martin on Dec 18, 2024 6:00:00 AM

What Is Plan Do Check Act (PDCA)

Plan Do Check Act is a simple but effective process to use when implementing risk controls through corrective-preventative actions. The PDCA process is initiated after you discover some deficiency/weakness in your SMS that poses an unacceptable level of safety, such as after an aviation SMS audit, reported safety concern, or trend analysis.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

How to Practice Reactive, Proactive, and Predictive Risk Management in Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Nov 6, 2024 5:30:00 AM

What It Means to Practice Reactive, Proactive, and Predictive Risk Management

If you want to practice reactive, proactive, and predictive risk management in aviation safety management systems (SMS), you first and foremost need to understand the difference between these types of risk management in modern aviation operations.

Understanding what each type of risk management is does not involve just understanding the “conceptual” difference, but how each practice differs in the actual operational environment.

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

20 Questions for Your Safety Risk Management Process in Aviation SMS [With Free Checklists]

Posted by Stu Martin on Oct 30, 2024 6:00:00 AM

What Is Safety Risk Management Process

The Safety Risk Management process (SRM) is where you outline and document your entire operational risk profile. Completing your SRM process is a major part of Phase 3 of SMS implementation.

Once you complete the initial documentation of your SRM process, you will need to continuously update it as new “inputs” are identified or implemented in your SMS,

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

Best Practices for Hazard Reporting in Aviation SMS - With Examples

Posted by Stu Martin on Oct 23, 2024 6:00:00 AM

What Are Goals for Best Practices of Hazard Reporting

Knowing best practices for hazard reporting in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is an attempt to better attain the goals of hazard reporting.

What are the goals of hazard reporting?

There are three main objectives:

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

5 Steps to Create Fishbone Diagrams in Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Oct 9, 2024 6:00:00 AM

What Is a Fishbone Diagram?

Fishbone diagrams are an excellent risk management tool for the root-cause-focused aviation industry.

If you are wondering how to use fishbone diagrams, you first need to know what a fishbone diagram is.

A fishbone diagram derives its name from its fish-like appearance, with a head and several fins. Each “fin” or “branch” of a fishbone diagram describes a different element of the failure. The head of the fishbone describes the risk.

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

What Are Leading Indicators in Aviation SMS?

Posted by Stu Martin on Sep 25, 2024 6:00:00 AM

What Are Leading Indicators in Safety Programs?

Leading indicators in aviation safety management systems (SMS) are:

  • The “input” of the program;
  • Identify precursors that directly correlate to future performance;
  • Identify technical or organizational weaknesses;
  • Are underlying causes for safety success and failure; and
  • Identify warning signs.
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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

3 Best Aviation SMS Risk Management Tools: Pros and Cons of Each

Posted by Stu Martin on Sep 18, 2024 6:00:00 AM

What Are the 3 Best Aviation SMS Risk Management Tools?

Aviation safety management systems (SMS) have many required components that must be monitored and documented regularly. Much of this gathered data assists in enhancing operational processes by providing managers with actionable, decision-making value.

To assist with this onerous task, aviation SMS risk management tools are fantastic additions to every SMS repertoire – if you use them.

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

How to Create Effective Aviation SMS Manuals: Guide for Safety Managers

Posted by Stu Martin on Aug 7, 2024 7:30:00 AM

Why Create an Aviation SMS Manual?

In aviation, where safety is paramount, a Safety Management System (SMS) is the foundation for managing risks and ensuring operational excellence.

At the core of any SMS lies the SMS manual—a critical document that outlines an organization’s safety policies, procedures, and processes. For aviation safety managers, crafting a comprehensive SMS manual is essential for meeting regulatory requirements, passing audits, and fostering a culture where safety is everyone’s priority.

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Topics: 1-Safety Policy

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