SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

20 Questions for Your Safety Risk Management Process in Aviation SMS [With Free Checklists]

Posted by Tyler Britton on Oct 30, 2024 6:00:00 AM

What Is Safety Risk Management Process

The Safety Risk Management process (SRM) is where you outline and document your entire operational risk profile. Completing your SRM process is a major part of Phase 3 of SMS implementation.

Once you complete the initial documentation of your SRM process, you will need to continuously update it as new “inputs” are identified or implemented in your SMS,

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

Best Practices for Hazard Reporting in Aviation SMS - With Examples

Posted by Tyler Britton on Oct 23, 2024 6:00:00 AM

What Are Goals for Best Practices of Hazard Reporting

Knowing best practices for hazard reporting in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is an attempt to better attain the goals of hazard reporting.

What are the goals of hazard reporting?

There are three main objectives:

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

How to Measure Safety Performance in Aviation SMS

Posted by Christopher Howell on Oct 16, 2024 6:15:00 AM

Why Do We Measure Aviation Safety Performance?

Aviation safety managers are tasked with a Safety Assurance (SA) element labeled "Continuous Improvement." Not many aviation safety management systems (SMS) training courses go into much detail about "Continuous Improvement" which leaves many safety managers confusedly scratching their heads.

Safety Assurance is the third ICAO component or pillar of an ICAO-compliant SMS framework. Annex 19 - Safety Management and the four components are described in detail in ICAO's Document 9859.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

5 Steps to Create Fishbone Diagrams in Aviation SMS

Posted by Tyler Britton on Oct 9, 2024 6:00:00 AM

What Is a Fishbone Diagram?

Fishbone diagrams are an excellent risk management tool for the root-cause-focused aviation industry.

If you are wondering how to use fishbone diagrams, you first need to know what a fishbone diagram is.

A fishbone diagram derives its name from its fish-like appearance, with a head and several fins. Each “fin” or “branch” of a fishbone diagram describes a different element of the failure. The head of the fishbone describes the risk.

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

3 Goal-Setting Tips Using Aviation Key Performance Indicators - With Free KPI Resources

Posted by Christopher Howell on Oct 2, 2024 6:00:00 AM

Why Use Aviation Key Performance Indicators as Goals or Objectives

Setting goals and objectives for your aviation safety management system (SMS) is a requirement, i.e., not optional.

Become accustomed to this requirement. Embrace it. Realize organizational value from this requirement and stop squandering an excellent opportunity to improve operations and show that the SMS can become the promised "profit driver."

Don't believe you can pencil whip this requirement like so many safety managers today.

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Topics: Key Performance Indicators

What Are Leading Indicators in Aviation SMS?

Posted by Tyler Britton on Sep 25, 2024 6:00:00 AM

What Are Leading Indicators in Safety Programs?

Leading indicators in aviation safety management systems (SMS) are:

  • The “input” of the program;
  • Identify precursors that directly correlate to future performance;
  • Identify technical or organizational weaknesses;
  • Are underlying causes for safety success and failure; and
  • Identify warning signs.
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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

3 Best Aviation SMS Risk Management Tools: Pros and Cons of Each

Posted by Tyler Britton on Sep 18, 2024 6:00:00 AM

What Are the 3 Best Aviation SMS Risk Management Tools?

Aviation safety management systems (SMS) have many required components that must be monitored and documented regularly. Much of this gathered data assists in enhancing operational processes by providing managers with actionable, decision-making value.

To assist with this onerous task, aviation SMS risk management tools are fantastic additions to every SMS repertoire – if you use them.

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

What Is Aviation Incident and Accident Reporting Software?

Posted by Christopher Howell on Sep 11, 2024 4:05:00 AM

Aviation Incident and Accident Reporting Software

Aviation Incident and Accident Reporting Software are specialized software systems that facilitate the collection, analysis, and reporting of aviation incidents and accidents. Safety reporting systems are crucial for enhancing aviation safety by providing a structured, repeatable process to document, analyze, and learn from occurrences within the aviation industry.

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Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

Best Practices: Reviewing Aviation SMS Manuals

Posted by Nichole Kruger on Aug 28, 2024 2:11:00 AM

When Should I Review Our SMS Manual?

It's very important to review SMS Manuals.

The most common audit finding is that the operator is not conducting operations as stated in their SMS manual.

Furthermore, your manual is only as useful as the information it contains. If the information is out of date, employees will lose trust in it. This undermines the safety culture you've worked to build.

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Topics: 1-Safety Policy

SMS First Steps - How to Create an SMS Implementation Plan

Posted by Nichole Kruger on Aug 21, 2024 5:00:00 AM

What Is an SMS Implementation Plan?

As a safety manager, the implementation plan is your road map to success, but finding guidance on how to create one is difficult at best.

The FAA doesn't provide an implementation plan for the latest Part 5 regulations, but there is an implementation plan suggested by ICAO 9859.

ICAO recommends a 5-year plan with 4 phases of implementation, but this plan may not work well for small organizations or those with many elements already in place.

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Topics: Aviation SMS Implementation

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