SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

What Is It Like to Lose Control of Your Aviation SMS

Losing control of your aviation SMS is largely a product of feeling overwhelmed by all the actions, documentation, and tasks required to implement and monitor safety.

While it is possible for safety culture to erode over time, to the point where the SMS does not perform well,

What Is a System in Aviation SMS

First of all, a system is simply a logical, separate part or "entity" within the overall scope of your company that includes things like:

• Its own set of procedures, tasks, etc.
• Its own set of requirements, roles, personnel; and
• Its own set of identified hazards, associated risks, and risk control strategies.

What Is Risk Tolerance

Risk tolerance is simply how much risk you are willing to accept in a given activity, task, situation, etc.

High-risk tolerance is not good.

Low-risk tolerance is good, as it means that people will only allow a limited amount of risky behavior. No more risk should be tolerated than necessary for completing a task.

On a system level, the risk tolerance that your SMS practices called Acceptable Level of Safety.

What Is Too Much to Handle

We talk with aviation safety professionals and business executives every day about their struggles with implementing and managing an SMS.

Inevitably, all aviation safety programs will reach a point of growth where it is getting too much to handle.

Too much to handle can mean one of several things:

• Management cannot keep up with safety assurance elements, such as managing safety issues, corrective actions, etc.;

What Is Safety Culture in Aviation SMS

Aviation safety cultures are the attitudes, behaviors, and actions that drive safety performance in your SMS.

Safety culture includes how management supports safety, and what front-line employees do when no one is watching.

There are different aspects of safety culture that, together,

What Does It Mean to Practice Due Diligence

Two general aspects of safety management systems encompass due diligence of the entire SMS: SMS design and actual safety operations.

Practicing due diligence means ensuring that the design closely matches reality.

To use aviation safety lingo:

• Safety Risk Management process should encompass the design of your SMS;
• Safety Assurance process reflects actual safety operations; and

Purpose of Aviation Risk Management Tools

Aviation risk management tools are designed to help you manage exposure in your SMS. Managing exposure involves a lot more than just risk analysis.

To properly keep exposure within an Acceptable Level of Safety, you need risk management tools that address all areas of the SMS 4 Pillars.

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;
• Promote the SMS; and
• Monitor safety performance;

What Is an Emergency Response Plan

An emergency response plan is a manual that companies use to address many different types of emergencies.

The manuals include:

• Who to contact;
• How to act; and
• Resources to use.

The priorities for any ERP are, in this order:

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.