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

The Concept of Management Commitment in Aviation SMS Programs

Management’s commitment to aviation safety management systems (SMS) is an extremely important part of the Four Pillar’s Safety Policy component.

Without a doubt, your SMS will fail without support from senior management.

Successful aviation SMS have exceptional safety cultures that rely significantly upon strong management commitment.

SMS Implementation Guidance Still Needed

Over a dozen years (Nov 2006) have passed since ICAO issued its first mandate requiring member states to implement formal, structured aviation safety management systems (SMS).

Aviation Safety Leadership Is NOT Safety Management

Effective leadership is crucial in aviation safety, with key figures such as

• Accountable Executives,
• Department Heads,
• Safety Champions, and
• Safety Managers

These leaders each play an important role contributing to a safety culture where safety cannot be ignored.

Purpose of Duties and Responsibilities in Aviation SMS

Duties and responsibilities in aviation SMS outline what each role will be accountable for and its core tasks. Each role will have unique tasks and accountabilities. You assign duties and responsibilities to an employee by assigning him/her a role. Duties and responsibilities allow your organization to:

• Manage company expectations of employees;
• Ensure employees understand what is expected of them; and

What Is an SMS Org Chart in Aviation Safety Management

An SMS org chart in aviation safety management outlines the chain-of-command in your SMS. Safety org charts are a visual reference tool that outlines the structure of your SMS. SMS org charts are important because:

What Are Roles in Aviation SMS Software

Roles in aviation SMS software are different categories of permissions and access assigned to users accessing your SMS database. Each role will have different responsibilities and authority.

Roles allow you to organize the human elements in your safety management system. This helps you:

Safety Policy Is the Architecture of Aviation SMS

Aviation safety management systems (SMS) are supported by the safety policy which is endorsed by the organization's accountable executive. The safety policy communicates management's commitment to the SMS while also affording employees protection from self-reporting errors or mistakes.

What Is Safety Posture in Aviation SMS

Aviation service providers should be aware of what level of risk is and isn’t acceptable. In other words, when you perform a risk assessment on a safety concern, what amount of risk requires mitigating actions, and what amount of risk requires no actions? What amount of risk is acceptable.

What Are the Best Practices for Establishing Safety Accountabilities?

One of the first steps in implementing an aviation safety management system (SMS) is to complete the documentation elements in the Safety Policy and Objectives component of an ICAO compliant SMS.

Please note that I said "one of the first steps." Before tackling these documentation elements, we recommend that you first:

Aviation Safety Policy? More Than Just Empty Words...

Safety managers are commonly the invisible authors to many safety policies showcased at aviation service providers worldwide. After all, safety managers are the "supposed" subject-matter experts and the accountable executive is busy doing "accountable executive stuff."