SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Aviation SMS Implementations Have Risk!

Imagine you are the pilot recently assigned the "extra" task of being the safety manager of an existing aviation safety management system (SMS).

Or perhaps you are the safety manager who has worked hard for years and your SMS is running very smoothly. Now what?

Every aviation SMS implementation has a risk, just as any other project at your company.

When safety managers identify risk early, there is a higher chance that the aviation SMS implementation will succeed.

Problems Monitoring Control Measures to Reduce Risk

An SMS provides management with a framework to facilitate decision-making and to dynamically shape the operating environment. Continuous improvement is a core element of every mature SMS.

Continuously monitoring environments in which your employees work remains crucial to optimal performance in all aspects of your organization's business, including safety.

What Is Proactive Risk Management

Proactive risk management is often esteemed as the “best” type of risk management. This is because proactive risk management usually matures later in SMS implementation. Also, it involves identifying and stopping issues before they occur.

Despite this, it’s important to understand that proactive risk management is not “better” than reactive or predictive risk management, it is just one necessary strategy for managing risk.

What Are Risk Statements in Aviation SMS Risk Management?

Aviation safety professionals are challenged constantly with communicating risk to stakeholders of their aviation safety management systems (SMS).

Imagine there is FOD (foreign object debris) on the runway. FOD is a hazard and there is risk associated with the hazard. For example, the risk may be a loss of life, damage to equipment, or mission delay.

Frequent Requests for Aviation Safety Manager Advice

We often receive questions from aviation professionals who are interested in pursuing a career as a Safety Manager.

This article should help to answer some of the most common questions.

High-quality career advice from practicing safety professionals can help you:

• Make better decisions;
• Advance your career; and

ICAO Requirements for Training and Education

ICAO’s requirements for training and education are largely focused on ensuring that you train and document all employees in your organization on core SMS and safety information. It is specific in its guidance documentation that role-based training is important. It also recommends that you have specific training for different tiers in your organization.

The requirements are listed as such:

What Is an Aviation Safety Management System

Aviation safety management systems are formal, structured methodologies for managing aviation safety programs. ICAO mandated that most aviation service providers implement SMS programs in 2006.

There are guidelines as to aviation SMS requirements that most SMS professionals are familiar with, notably Document 9859. Doc 9859 nicely outlines what is an SMS program and breaks out the requirements into pillars, most commonly called the four pillars.

The Frustration of Monumental Tasks of SMS Implementation

Many aviation safety managers happen upon the task of "safety manager" by chance. The previous safety manager may have:

• Quit the company;
• Been promoted to another position; or
• Been replaced due to poor performance.

Regardless, new safety managers have a very tough task. Most aviation service providers only have the budget for one safety manager; therefore, when one suddenly leaves the company, a huge vacuum exists.

I Don't Need an Aviation SMS Database... or Do I?

Many aviation service providers today are researching features and capabilities to acquire databases to address documentation requirements of their aviation safety management system (SMS). Alternatively, these operators are not looking to acquire an SMS database, but to:

1. learn how to design an SMS database in-house; or
2. cobble together single-point solutions to satisfy SMS regulators.

Why are aviation SMS databases important?

Purpose of Risk Analysis

In aviation SMS, you analyze risk to break an issue down into individual, controllable parts. Based on your analysis, you can assess the safety issue, and understand both what actions need to be taken, and what safety factors need to be better controlled.

During risk analysis, the issue should be broken down into the following parts:

• What the issue in question is – is the reported issue a hazard, a negative outcome, etc.