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

What Issues Employees Should Be Reporting in Your SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Apr 10, 2018 5:57:00 AM

Goals for Hazard Reporting

Knowing what issues employees should be reporting in your SMS requires you always keep the primary goals of hazard reporting in mind:

First, you need to gather data. You use data to:

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

More Than Dirty: Advanced Use of Human Factors in Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Apr 9, 2018 5:31:00 AM

Human Factors in Aviation SMS: Beyond the “Dirty”

Unfortunately, the concept of Human Factors in aviation safety management systems (SMS) has historically carried an undeniable, negative impression about the role of human in safety issues (as well as other issues).

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Best Practices for Documenting Your Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Apr 5, 2018 5:56:00 AM

What Does Documenting Aviation SMS Mean

Aviation safety management systems (SMS) documentation is probably the most critical component of aviation SMS design.

Documentation must be clear, accurate, current, and easy to access. Documentation reflects SMS compliance and SMS performance.

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Topics: Quality-Safety Management

4 Charts for Proactive Risk Management

Posted by Stu Martin on Apr 4, 2018 6:17:00 AM

What Is Proactive Risk Management

Proactive risk management for safety managers involves risk management activities that are dedicated to recognizing potential concerns before those concerns actualize. Proactive risk management does this by:

  • Identifying trends in important safety data; and
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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

Which Issues Management Should Care About in Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Apr 3, 2018 5:57:00 AM

Hazard Reporting Process Is for More Than Just Hazards

The idea of “hazard reporting” is a bit inaccurate because employees should be reporting more than just hazards.

Hazards are just one type of concern that employees should report. When we are talking about hazard reporting, what we are really talking about is “issue reporting.”

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

What Is Risk vs Risk Occurrence in Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Apr 2, 2018 6:02:00 AM

Definition of Risk

Risk, in its general form, is what is most often cited when discussing the definition of risk, and the idea of risk.

Risk in general is:

  • The composite of severity and likelihood used to rank risk;
  • Used in Risk Assessment; and
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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

8 Best Charts for Reactive Risk Management in Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Mar 28, 2018 5:53:00 AM

What Is Reactive Risk Management in Aviation SMS

Reactive risk management in aviation SMS is a technique that, mainly, involves the ability to respond to safety issues (or other types of issues, such as compliance, quality, etc.).

Reactive management is a response based approach to risk.

Practically, this means that anytime managers or front-line employees respond to an active threat in the operational environment (front-line employees)

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

5 Best Ways to Make Reporting Safety Issues More Convenient in Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Mar 26, 2018 6:26:00 AM

Building Hazard Reporting Culture Through Convenience

If you want to improve your aviation SMS program’s hazard reporting culture, the first thing you should do is to see if you can make hazard reporting easier.

“Easier” is a tricky word.

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Topics: 4-Safety Promotion

Acceptable Level of Safety (ALoS) in Aviation SMS

Posted by Stu Martin on Mar 21, 2018 6:10:00 AM

Definition of Acceptable Level of Safety in Aviation SMS

Acceptable Level of Safety (ALoS) in Aviation SMS is how you define the maximum level of risk you are willing to accept as “reasonable.”

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Topics: 1-Safety Policy

5 Easy Ways to Combine QMS and SMS in Aviation Operations

Posted by Stu Martin on Mar 19, 2018 6:31:00 AM

Why Quality Management Is So Important for Safety

Quality management systems (QMS) are the big brother of safety management systems (SMS). They are often depicted as having conflicting interests.

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Topics: Quality-Safety Management

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