SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

What Is the Human Factor Lack of Awareness

The Human Factor Lack of Awareness is the “dead end” that many other Human Factors lead to. It happens when you are:

• Stressed out;
• Tired and fatigued;
• Under pressure; and
• Distracted by something.

Spreadsheet-Based SMS or Software-Based SMS

Running a spreadsheet-based SMS or upgrading to a software-based SMS is a decision that companies are increasingly having to make a choice upon. A majority of aviation safety management systems are spreadsheet-based. If you are a safety manager, your SMS is probably based on spreadsheets.

You can’t deny the limitations of spreadsheets, however. Aviation safety management software offers efficiency and analysis ability that is orders of magnitudes above spreadsheets.

What Is It Like to Lose Control of Your Aviation SMS

Losing control of your aviation SMS is largely a product of feeling overwhelmed by all the actions, documentation, and tasks required to implement and monitor safety.

While it is possible for safety culture to erode over time, to the point where the SMS does not perform well, losing control of an SMS often means not being able to “keep up” with things like:

• Safety assurance, such as managing safety issues, corrective actions, reviews, inspections, etc.;
• The workload necessary to complete SMS design;

What Is a System in Aviation SMS

First of all, a system is simply a logical, separate part or "entity" within the overall scope of your company that includes things like:

• Its own set of procedures, tasks, etc.
• Its own set of requirements, roles, personnel; and
• Its own set of identified hazards, associated risks, and risk control strategies.

Better Alternatives to Spreadsheet-Based SMS

Spreadsheet-based safety programs are incredibly common. Many of you reading this use spreadsheets to manage your SMS activities, such as documenting:

• Gap analysis;
• Hazard reporting activity;
• Training and qualifications tracking;
• Hazard and risk register;
• Audit management; and
• Key performance indicators.

What Is Risk Tolerance

Risk tolerance is simply how much risk you are willing to accept in a given activity, task, situation, etc.

High-risk tolerance is not good.

Low-risk tolerance is good, as it means that people will only allow a limited amount of risky behavior. No more risk should be tolerated than necessary for completing a task.

On a system level, the risk tolerance that your SMS practices called Acceptable Level of Safety.

All Aviation Safety Managers Need Tips Using Hazard Registers

A hazard register is a common requirement that aviation regulatory authorities review when they audit a Phase 3 or Phase 4 aviation safety management system (SMS).

I frequently talk to aviation service providers that keep their Hazard Register in Excel format. They say they "review" it every year, but other than the obligatory once-over, I seriously doubt they are capitalizing on the value a hazard register can offer.

What Is Too Much to Handle

We talk with aviation safety professionals and business executives every day about their struggles with implementing and managing an SMS.

Inevitably, all aviation safety programs will reach a point of growth where it is getting too much to handle.

Too much to handle can mean one of several things:

• Management cannot keep up with safety assurance elements, such as managing safety issues, corrective actions, etc.;

What Is Safety Culture in Aviation SMS

Aviation safety cultures are the attitudes, behaviors, and actions that drive safety performance in your SMS.

Safety culture includes how management supports safety, and what front-line employees do when no one is watching.

There are different aspects of safety culture that, together, represent the overall safety culture of an organization:

• Commitment of program to safety;
• Safety behavior in SMS;

What Does It Mean to Practice Due Diligence

Two general aspects of safety management systems encompass due diligence of the entire SMS: SMS design and actual safety operations.

Practicing due diligence means ensuring that the design closely matches reality.

To use aviation safety lingo:

• Safety Risk Management process should encompass the design of your SMS;
• Safety Assurance process reflects actual safety operations; and