SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Why Monitor Aviation Safety Key Performance Indicators?

Safety assurance is the third ICAO pillar or component of aviation safety management systems (SMS). While practicing safety assurance, aviation service providers focus on safety performance monitoring and measurement. Monitoring activities include constantly reviewing the effectiveness of established safety risk controls.

Safety risk controls are established under the safety risk management process and typically performed during proactive hazard analysis when safety teams perform safety risk assessments.

Aviation Safety Reporting Database Required - Spreadsheets Equal Noncompliance

Empirical evidence and results from historical aviation accident investigations have shown that accidents are often preceded by safety-related incidents that reveal the presence of untreated hazards.

These "leading indicators" are commonly known to employees and are usually not formally reported in an aviation safety management system (SMS) database.

Leading indicators can take one of several forms:

• Accidents;
• Incidents; and

Aviation Safety Reporting Cultures Are Suffering

Most safety managers don't have the luxury of a healthy safety reporting culture in their aviation safety management system (SMS). Managers daily struggle to boost their monthly safety reporting metrics by up to 10% of employees, or one report per month for every 10 employees.

In 1976, NASA and the FAA recognized that a neutrally-operated confidential aviation hazard reporting system was required to engender trust among the aviation community.

Why Use Hazard Reporting Forms in Aviation Safety Programs?

Web-based hazard reporting templates or forms are key to the healthy performance of aviation safety management systems (SMS). Safety cultures depend on well-designed, user-friendly tools to report and manage reported safety concerns.

Without user-friendly safety reporting forms, there are only a few other options for safety managers to receive hazard and safety reports from

• employees,
• customers,
• suppliers and

What Is Formally Documenting in Aviation SMS

Formally documenting your SMS means creating an “official” record of your SMS. Official records are simply aspects of your SMS that you document and save to use later, such as during review or provide to an auditor. Aspects of your SMS that you formally document will fall into two categories:

1. SMS design, which is encompassed in your:
   1. Operational Risk Profile/Hazard Register, which is a manual/document where you list the hazards, risks, and controls pertinent to your operations; and

Who Are You Showing Effectiveness of SMS To

Proving the effectiveness of your aviation safety management system comes in several flavors. Who are you proving the effectiveness to? You might be showing your SMS effectiveness at managing safety to:

• Auditors;
• Investors;

Aviation Safety Managers Battling Organizational Silos

Effective aviation safety management systems (SMS) are implemented throughout an entire organization, and not merely for flight ops and airside operations.

Unfortunately, there is a major problem with many safety cultures in the aviation industry. Safety is managed at the department level or the division level of many inefficient aviation companies.

Power of Safety Goals on Shaping Aviation Safety Culture

Goal-setting is required for every ICAO-compliant aviation SMS program. The objective of goal setting is to

• Improve an operator's safety performance;
• Shape organizational safety culture, which
• Contributes to the bottom line.

There is not a defined method to guide safety managers in goal setting. Every safety manager has their preferred strategies for goal setting.

Good Aviation Safety Management Practices

A Safety Management System (SMS) is a system that is composed of various policies, processes, procedures, and practices adopted and implemented to improve the overall safety of an organization.

Management is responsible for implementing, maintaining, and making sure that SMS processes are carried out. I believe a good aviation safety management practice works hand-in-hand with the ethical standards of an organization.

What Is ICAO?

The International Civil Aviation Organization, or ICAO, was founded in 1944. It's a United Nations specialized agency that establishes international standards for civil aviation.

Of the 195 recognized countries in the world today, 192 are ICAO member states. These 192 'contracting states' abide by the Chicago Convention regulations.

ICAO defines aviation Standards and Recommended Practices, also known as SARPs. Nations (member states) adopt these rules and incorporate them into their national policies.