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

Introduction: The Role of Risk Management in Aviation SMS

Aviation risk management tools are essential for managing exposure within Safety Management Systems (SMS), ensuring safety aligns with operational demands. The Federal Aviation Administration reports that 70% of incidents stem from unaddressed risks, costing the industry $1.2 billion annually, per IATA.

Beyond risk analysis, these tools must address all four SMS pillars—Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management (SRM), Safety Assurance (SA), and Safety Promotion—to maintain an Acceptable Level of Safety (ALoS) under ICAO Annex 19 and FAA Part 5. SMS Pro’s aviation SMS software delivers comprehensive risk management with 78 modules, including offline auditing, automated workflows, and visual analytics.

Optimize Ability to Monitor, Manage, and Document

Becoming a better safety manager involves looking at how you are currently managing your SMS, and seeing where you can optimize your ability to:

• Manage risk exposure, such as reported safety issues, audits, reviewing control measures, etc.;
• Document your SMS design and actions taken to mitigate exposure;

What Is Phase 4 of Aviation SMS Implementation

Phase 4 of SMS implementation is all about following through on designing your SMS, and moving forward with actually using the created resources and monitoring your SMS. For example, in Phase 3 of SMS implementation you are required to create KPIs, and in Phase 4 you are required to monitor them.

What Is Phase 3 of Aviation SMS Implementation

Phase 3 of Aviation SMS implementation is largely about implementing your Safety Risk Management process. Your SRM process is where you document and design your safety management system. Designing your SMS is a two-step process:

What Is the Human Factor Complacency (Two Types of Complacency)

Human Factor Complacency is one of the most important Human Factors in aviation safety that you need to be aware of.

Complacency can happen when you are feeling satisfied with your level of safety, and it can happen when you are apathetic to your own safety level.

What Is a Dying Aviation Risk Management Program

Aviation safety risk management programs are on a spectrum of regression, stagnation, or improvement. What condition is your SMS?

Is your aviation risk management program dying? The truth is that it can be hard to know the current status of your SMS.

What Is SMS Design

In aviation safety, SMS design is the framework upon which operations run safely.

SMS design is encapsulated in the Safety Risk Management pillar of the 4 Pillars of SMS. Implementing the design of your SMS will be the first major accomplishment of your safety program.

What Is Plan Do Check Act (PDCA)

Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) is a very simple, but remarkable process for driving improvement in the design of your aviation SMS.

Here are the main points of PDCA:

What Is Phase 2 of Aviation SMS Implementation?

Phase 2 of SMS Implementation is largely dedicated to documenting foundational, core, elements of your safety management system.

The result of implementing Phase 2 is an SMS Safety Policy that all employees can reference to understand:

What Is Phase 1 of Aviation SMS Implementation

Phase 1 of Aviation SMS implementation involves activities that lay the groundwork you will need to begin implementing other parts of your SMS, such as critical processes and policy.

Phase 1 of aviation SMS has the goal of answering like: