Operation risk is a primary concern of airline safety management systems (SMS). Just as in traditional safety programs, modern SMS implementations will revolve around identifying hazards and controlling these safety events.
In a formal aviation SMS implementation, there are two inter-connected components:
Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management
Aviation safety managers and employees who understand the real difference between reactive, predictive, and proactive risk management activities gain considerable benefit for generating good safety performance.
The fact is that these three types of risk management strategies are often misunderstood and/or confused.
Can you describe the difference?
Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management
When the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) required a formal safety management system (SMS) implementation by aviation service providers in 2006, they didn't simply pass a ruling. ICAO offered guidance material for SMS implementation in Document 9859, now in the third edition.
All aviation safety management professionals should read Document 9859 at least once. It is surprisingly easy to read.
Topics: Aviation SMS Implementation
We run across this time and time again in aviation risk management programs: safety management teams confuse hazards and risks, and consequently also confuse risks and consequences.
To be frank, misunderstanding the difference between these three things can have far-reaching repercussions on your ability to practice risk management in your aviation safety management system (SMS).
Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management
We write every day about topics relating to aviation safety management systems (SMS), yet we have always taken for granted that you know what is aviation safety?
Deep down, most of us have an idea about safety. We can logically expand a safety definition to encompass the aviation industry. Yet this takes work to consider the broad implications. I've taken a few moments to discuss what is aviation safety since I've never defined it in the past.
Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management
Somewhat surprisingly, in aviation safety management systems (SMS), safety objectives are often quite misunderstood. Experienced safety management may have a slightly misguided understanding of safety objectives.
New safety management will simply ask, what are safety objectives? Do you know how to properly describe safety objectives?
Some of the most common errors made with safety objectives are:
Topics: 1-Safety Policy
Aviation management personnel and employees who truly understand the differences between hazards, risks, and different types of controls are more effective at preventing accidents and reducing costs related to preventable accidents and incidents.
Furthermore, hazards and risks are most commonly misunderstood by safety managers who need to either create or review their company's hazard and risk registers.
Can you easily tell another employee the difference between a hazard and a risk?
Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management
During the issue management life-cycle, safety managers commonly conduct initial and residual risk assessments on reported issues. In most cases, the risk is a combination of both:
Occasionally, you will see organizations that also include "exposure" as a third dimension to their risk assessment.
Topics: 3-Safety Assurance
Before making risk assessments, there are several important questions to ask about the issue in question. These questions are extremely significant, as they affect how you will rank the issue and how you will respond to it.
You will commonly perform risk assessments on reported safety issues, such as
Topics: 2-Safety Risk Management
Simply put, trend analysis in aviation SMS is an activity that is used to target patterns in your safety program that might otherwise be “lost in the noise” of your safety data.
Patterns can be related to behavior, occurrences, or other aspects of your safety program. Patterns are identified within your chosen time period.
You may identify trends that are:
Topics: 3-Safety Assurance
These two on-demand videos offer:
