SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

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:

1. Hazard identification and reporting;
2. SMS audit;

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)."

Incentives Are the Key to Proactive Risk Management

Incentive (or lack of) will make or break an aviation safety management system (SMS).

Without fail, aviation SMS that perform at a proactive risk management level have specific incentives that fit the needs of the organization.

Immature programs struggle to cultivate incentives for several reasons, including the fact that they are often unaware of how powerful incentives are in creating a performing SMS implementation.

Hazard Reporting Is Only the Beginning of Risk Management

Reporting hazards, incidents or accidents grabs considerable attention in every aviation safety and risk management system. Without reported data, safety managers would be unable to continuously improve systems' processes, which is a requirement in modern aviation safety management systems (SMS).

Before an "issue of concern" moves through the safety risk management process, the safety issue must be brought to the attention of a responsible manager, commonly called the safety manager or safety officer.

Audit-Worthy Aviation SMS Implementations Take Considerable Time

Aviation service providers never implement their required aviation safety management system (SMS) quickly. In most cases, it will take three to five years for a medium to a large aviation service provider to completely implement their SMS.

You may scrape by in the early stages by pencil-whipping SMS requirements into shape, but an SMS is more than policies and pretty, well-formatted aviation SMS manuals.

Importance of Hazard Categories in Aviation SMS

Aviation safety charts gather and present aviation safety management system (SMS) information to stakeholders. Stakeholders use this visually rich information to make informed, fact-based decisions about SMS and organizational performance.

A popular idiom is "A picture can speak a thousand words." This saying implies that a picture, or chart in our case, can convey complex information more quickly and effectively than attempting to describe the chart's meaning in words.

Purpose of Duties and Responsibilities in Aviation SMS

Duties and responsibilities in aviation SMS outline what each role will be accountable for and its core tasks. Each role will have unique tasks and accountabilities. You assign duties and responsibilities to an employee by assigning him/her a role. Duties and responsibilities allow your organization to:

• Manage company expectations of employees;
• Ensure employees understand what is expected of them; and

Importance of SMS Performance Monitoring Dashboards

Aviation safety charts gather and present aviation safety management systems (SMS) information to stakeholders. Stakeholders can then use this information to make decisions and possibly change behaviors.

One of the most popular, time-efficient ways to monitor SMS performance is by using a safety performance dashboard that is tied directly into an SMS database. The SMS database allows management to participate in fact-based decision-making processes in real time.

What Is an SMS Org Chart in Aviation Safety Management

An SMS org chart in aviation safety management outlines the chain-of-command in your SMS. Safety org charts are a visual reference tool that outlines the structure of your SMS. SMS org charts are important because:

• Identifies roles in your organization;
• Shows communication lines; and
• Shows hierarchy of safety responsibility.

Data Mining Is the Foundation of Predictive Risk Management

Predictive risk management is one of the primary goals of an aviation safety management system (SMS). Predictive risk management allows operators to identify safety issues and spot trends before they result in a

• near-miss,
• incident, or
• accident.