SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

How to Create Aviation SMS Implementation Plan - With Templates

Posted by Christopher Howell on Feb 19, 2020 5:16:00 AM

What You Need to Know About Aviation SMS Implementation Plans

If you are reading this, chances are you have just begun implementing your aviation safety management systems (SMS). Or, you would like to see how your implementation plan stacks up against the suggested process for creating an implementation plan.

Either way, the important things you need to know about aviation SMS implementation plans are that they:

  • Organize all elements of SMS;
  • Provide you with a road map of implementation-order;
Read More

Topics: Aviation SMS Implementation

Flight Risk Assessment Tool Good Aviation SMS Backbone?

Posted by Tyler Britton on Feb 10, 2020 6:00:00 AM

What Is a Flight Risk Assessment Tool

A flight risk assessment tool, commonly known as FRAT, is a very important element of your SMS program.

Every flight has risks and hazards.

Using a FRAT tool helps airline SMS programs evaluate reviews and identify those risks. Based on this FRAT review process, safety programs can develop mitigation strategies.

A FRAT tool contains a list of various questions. Each question has a “risk level” attached to it. Counting up the risk level of each question will provide the total risk assessment score for the flight.

Read More

Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

How Much Risk Are You Willing to Accept? The Circle of Risk Acceptance

Posted by Tyler Britton on Jan 20, 2020 5:41:00 AM

How Much Risk Are You Taking On?

How much risk are you willing to accept?

This is one of the most critical questions that every aviation service provider needs to answer. The answer will influence every single risk management activity in the operator's aviation safety management system (SMS).

What is your risk appetite? Not surprisingly, our risk of appetite changes based on a variety of factors that require constant monitoring, including:

  • Competition;
Read More

Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management

Winter Fatigue Hazard Register Review - Aviation SMS SRM & SA Example

Posted by Tyler Britton on Jan 15, 2020 5:45:00 AM

Winter Is Coming - Move Fatigue Upward in Hazard Register

The Northern Hemisphere is blanketed in winter, which involves, cold, ice, many long nights, and grey days.

For human fatigue that means two things:

  • More melatonin production
  • Seasonal depression

Winter fatigue is a real, medically proven problem that affects many people.

Read More

Topics: 4-Safety Promotion, 2-Safety Risk Management

FAA Part 5 Compliance | Safety Assurance Continuous Improvement

Posted by Tyler Britton on Jan 6, 2020 6:15:00 AM

Purpose of Continuous Improvement in Safety Assurance Pillar

In every aviation safety management system (SMS), the accountable executive is responsible for ensuring the SMS is properly implemented and performing in all areas of the organization. The intent is not for the aviation SMS to reach some ideal "plateau of safety" and then maintain the "ideal safety level." Far from it!

Read More

Topics: 3-Safety Assurance, FAA Compliance

FAA Part 5 Compliance: Safety Promotion (the Overlooked Pillar)

Posted by Tyler Britton on Jan 1, 2020 5:48:00 AM

Safety Promotion as an Aviation SMS Pillar

Since November 2006, ICAO mandated that aviation service providers implement formal aviation safety management systems (SMS). The objective of the aviation SMS is to:

  • Proactively manage safety,
  • Identify potential hazards,
  • Determine operational risk, and
  • Implement risk control measures;
  • Continuously monitor system for hazards; and
  • Demonstrate continuous improvement of the SMS.
Read More

Topics: 4-Safety Promotion, FAA Compliance

FAA Part 5 Compliance | Safety Assurance Analysis of Data Component

Posted by Tyler Britton on Dec 30, 2019 5:55:00 AM

What Is Safety Assurance in Aviation SMS

For an aviation safety management system (SMS) to be effective, the SMS must be monitored to assure managers and regulatory authorities that the SMS is both

  • implemented correctly, and
  • working as designed.

An ICAO-compliant SMS is structured around four main components, which are also known as the Four Pillars. The third aviation SMS component is Safety Assurance (SA).

Read More

Topics: 3-Safety Assurance, FAA Compliance

How to Set Up Classifications in Aviation SMS Implementations

Posted by Tyler Britton on Dec 25, 2019 6:12:00 AM

Why Classifications Are Important in Risk Management Activities

The objective of aviation safety management systems (SMS) is proactively manage safety using structured risk management processes.

Once operators have these processes in place, it is the civil aviation authorities (CAA) expectation for aviation service providers to able to use all four SMS components (also known as pillars) to enhance their capability to identify safety issues and spot trends before they result in a

  • near-miss,
  • incident, or
Read More

Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

What Is Importance of Data Mining in Aviation SMS Implementations

Posted by Tyler Britton on Dec 23, 2019 5:54:00 AM

What Is Data Mining in Aviation SMS?

Data mining is a critical, intermittent risk management activity safety managers need to perform in their aviation safety management systems (SMS) to organize, understand, and process collected safety data acquired during the organization's risk management processes.

Data mining techniques can be performed with a modest, home-grown aviation safety database and simple tools, or with complex software and professional, commercially available aviation safety databases.

Read More

Topics: Aviation SMS Database, 3-Safety Assurance

What Are Hazard Risk Assessment and Hazard Risk Analysis in Aviation SMS

Posted by Tyler Britton on Dec 20, 2019 5:56:00 AM

Why It’s Important to Understand the Difference Between Assessment and Analysis

In aviation safety management systems (SMS), one of the main activities that senior managers and safety teams will undertake will be to

  1. identify hazards;
  2. evaluate risk associated with these hazards; and
  3. determine whether existing risk controls are adequate.
Read More

Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

Site content provided by Northwest Data Solutions is meant for informational purposes only. Opinions presented here are not provided by any civil aviation authority or standards body.

 

 

Benefits of SMS Pro Database

Affordable, Basic Compliance for Small Aviation Service Providers

Best Practices for Aviation SMS

 

Watch SMS Pro Demo Videos

These two on-demand videos offer:

  • High-level overview of SMS Pro;
  • Hazard Reporting & Risk Management walk-through.
Watch SMS Pro Demo Videos
 
 
 
 

Subscribe to Email Updates

Recent Posts