SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Aviation SMS Training Resistance More Than Just “Boring”

I hardly need to point out how critical aviation SMS training is for the ongoing success of any aviation safety program.

Operators with well-developed safety training strategies often reap the benefits of a resilient, high-functioning aviation safety management system (SMS).

Effective SMS training can mean the difference between obligatory aviation risk management performance and willing, highly active SMS participation by all employees.

“Aviation Risk Management” Is a Vague Phrase

It occurred to me recently that the phrase “aviation risk management” gets thrown around in many different contexts, both by myself and anyone else who writes about aviation safety management systems (SMS). While “aviation risk management” gives the impression of being a single, solid idea – something to attain for – in reality, it is a phrase that means many different things depending on the context.

It can be as much:

• A “thing”;
• As an adjective;

Getting (Back) to the Basics of Aviation SMS

It’s easy to get absorbed in the gritty details of complex systems – this is especially true of aviation safety management systems (SMS).

For newcomers to the world of aviation SMS, it can seem overwhelming and daunting. For veterans, it’s easy to forget the core values.

For newcomers and veterans alike, reviewing the core principles of SMS can be refreshing:

Importance for Visualizing Management's Risk Management Performance

Aviation safety charts gather and present aviation safety management system (SMS) information to stakeholders, who can then use this information to make informed, fact-based decisions. Safety charts can also influence safety culture, either for the better or for the worst.

We started creating performance monitoring dashboards for managers approximately ten years ago. By far, the most talked about safety chart in the SMS database is the on-time task performance chart. When all employees and management have transparent visibility into the aviation SMS, management is held to a higher level of accountability.

Global Problem of Safety Reporting Performance

Employee involvement in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is a major struggle for countless organizations.

The unfortunate fact – and this is something we hear regularly – is that finding good safety incentives and accountability for employees' safety performance in aviation SMS implementations is tough.

One of the primary problems here is the “so what” factor.

What Is a Risk Matrix Used for in Aviation Risk Management

The risk matrix is the standard risk assessment tool in aviation SMS and other risk management industries. It’s a standard tool because it’s simple and accomplishes all of the needs of a risk assessment, namely:

• Rank safety concerns;
• Understand if an issue’s risk is “tolerable”;
• Ensure assessments are consistent; and
• Ensure assessments are easy and intuitive to perform.

Why Mandatory vs. Voluntary Safety Reporting Chart Is Important

We generally think of aviation safety management system (SMS) charts as being visual representations of various pieces of safety data. This safety data commonly comes from performance-based data or classification-type data.

Performance based data may include:

• How many safety reports were submitted within the past month?
• Percentage of safety reports closed on time;

Why Managers Struggle With Safety Promotion

Safety Promotion is definitely the least appreciated of the 4 Pillars of SMS.

Almost without fail, promoting safety takes the “back seat” in most aviation safety programs because civil aviation authorities and auditors are significantly more interested in seeing that you comply with:

• Safety Policy,
• Safety Risk Management, and
• Safety Assurance.

How to Use Hazard Reporting Forms

It’s hard to underestimate the value that high-quality hazard reporting forms provide your aviation SMS.

Hazard reporting quite literally provides the underpinning for your risk management activities. No hazard reports...nothing for you to manage.

Hazard reporting forms provide incentives, organization, and guidance for employees when they detect irregularities in the operational environment. Having specific questions for specific types of issues makes reporting easier and faster than having vague or general questions.

Most Important Items for Starting SMS Implementation

If you are reading this article, chances are that you either already have started implementing an aviation safety management system (SMS), or you are considering an SMS implementation.

Starting an aviation SMS implementation from ground zero may be confusing and difficult for any safety professional, much less a layperson who may be tasked to implement an aviation SMS. There is so much to do, such as

• gap analysis;
• implementation plan;