SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

What Is the Bowtie Method in Aviation SMS Risk Management?

The Bowtie in aviation risk management is a fairly new and trending, but extremely effective way of approaching risk and risk management in aviation safety management systems (SMS).

What Actions You Should Take On Each Reported Safety Issue

Through the course of daily work in an aviation safety management system, you will discover safety issues – this is called “discovery.” When you make discoveries, such as through hazard reporting or SMS audits, you need to formally process them through your SMS Safety Assurance Process.

Why This Aviation SMS Implementation Chart Is Important

As you probably already well know, implementing aviation safety management systems (SMS) is a big deal for most aviation service providers around the world – both in terms of accounting for all of an SMS' moving parts, as well as trying to get all of the moving parts moving in the direction of progress.

Why Aviation KPIs Lagging and Leading Indicators Are Important

Lagging and leading indicators for aviation safety management systems (SMS) key performance indicators (KPIs) are often confused or misunderstood.

Even various online sources have conflicting, vague, or incomplete explanations of the difference between lagging and leading indicators.

Obviously, understanding how to select aviation SMS KPIs is extremely important, and it’s a topic that often generates much interest from all levels of the aviation safety industry.

Benefits of Showing Employees That Your SMS Is Effective

Showing employees that your SMS is effective is simply building your case for the SMS. That being said, there are several prerequisites for being able to show employees that your SMS is effective:

• Your SMS has actually demonstrated safety improvement;
• Employees are actually reporting issues;

Aviation SMS New Employee Integration Time

The oil industry, which in terms of safety standards is rather similar to the aviation industry, provides a great example with its statistic that over 50% of all accidents are caused by employees with less than 1 year of experience in their current work environment.

When airlines, airports, and other aviation service providers hire new employees, those employees pose a significant risk so long as they are unfamiliar with their new:

Aviation Safety Leadership Is NOT Safety Management

Aviation safety managers and department heads are tasked with delivering aviation safety management AND safety leadership capabilities.

“Leadership” and “management” are often used interchangeably both in speech and action but contrary to common practice they are NOT the same thing.

Monitor SMS Performance in Real Time

Safety teams and the accountable executive are expected to regularly review the performance of their implemented aviation safety management system (SMS). A regular review of the SMS is important to ensure that any substandard safety performance is addressed in a timely fashion.

Most aviation service providers are storing their SMS data in SMS databases. An SMS database provides the accountable executive with an efficient way to monitor SMS performance in real time.

What Is a Risk Assessment

Airport SMS programs and Airline SMS programs need to use a formal process for ranking various risks. Risk assessments satisfy this need and, based on your Acceptable Level of Safety policy, allow you to know which actions to take next on the issue you are assessing.

The risk assessment process in aviation SMS starts with discovery, which usually happens via:

Aviation Safety Chart Monitors Safety Goals and Objectives

Safety reporting metrics are among the best indicators to judge the performance of any aviation safety management system (SMS). This is such a very powerfully poignant statement. Let that sink in:

"Safety reporting metrics are among the best indicators to judge the performance of any aviation safety management system (SMS)."