Enhancing Aviation Safety: Expert Insights, Tips, and Updates from SMS-Pro

If the Shoe Fits, Wear It - Which Cronies Do You See?

This is a delicate topic, yet must be approached. After reading this article, if you have any solutions or even part solutions that I'm unable to address, please comment. Your help will be appreciated. I know of at least five safety managers who need some advice on this topic.

In most countries, aviation safety officers don't have a sense of entitlement.

Do I Have What It Takes to Be an Aviation Safety Manager?

One of the most difficult tasks for new and aspiring safety managers is to acquire their first job.

This is especially true for those fresh out of schools, such as Embry-Riddle or Florida's Institute of Technology. If you are on the other side of the Atlantic, you may have gone to Cranfield's safety program.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has established a comprehensive Safety Management System (SMS) framework to ensure safety is systematically managed across the global aviation industry. Central to this framework is the Safety Policy pillar, which serves as the foundation for an organization’s commitment to safety.

For aviation safety managers, mastering the Safety Policy pillar is essential for fostering a proactive safety culture, ensuring regulatory compliance, and protecting lives.

Brief Definition of Aviation SMS for the Layman

Some of you are well acquainted with the ins and outs of aviation safety management systems and SMS software.

If you are in the other group, like me, and are only barely acquainted with what aviation SMS is and who uses it, then this article is for you.

Why Compare Trends in Aviation SMS KPI Data?

Curiosity and upper management may frequently demand that safety managers create reports from safety data that compare their operations with their competitors or with a national, regional, or global "average."

Displaying hazard reporting data over time increases management's understanding of the real performance of airline and airports' safety processes.

The Tone Your Aviation Safety Training Should Have

Airports and airlines are busy places. Many inexperienced and experienced pilots and other personnel can be found hurrying about completing their tasks and missions. In such conditions, as in all aviation settings, a good safety culture is essential.

Airports exemplify many important SMS training values that help to keep pilots safe. These include:

• Responsibility;
• Quality instruction;
• Respect;
• Cooperation; and
• Good communication.

Multiculturalism in Aviation

In the old days of national airline carriers the crews almost invariably shared the same nationality. Indeed, a common national identity of the workforce was a trademark of these carriers.

Now, with the liberalization of air transport occurring in many parts of the world, workforces have become increasingly multicultural.

What Is Safety Communication in Aviation SMS

Safety communication in aviation SMS is simply another way of sharing data.

Safety communication IS data sharing. This data sharing happens in several ways:

Understanding Safety Policy

Many of the words and phrases used in aviation SMS have very specific meanings beyond those found in the dictionary. Hazard and risk, for example, have definitions that go beyond Merriam-Webster’s definition.

What Are Classifications in Aviation Risk Management

In SMS, it’s extremely useful to organize reported issues by classifying them with classifications.

A classification is simply a unit of organization. By “unit of organization,” we are talking about a short phrase that describes the safety issue in one way. This issue can be described in terms of:

• It’s “type” of problem, such as “Aircraft damage in hangar”;
• It’s a central issue (hazard), such as "Runway excursion";