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

Safety Managers Get Into Trouble Due to Verbal Skills

Aviation safety managers are among the most articulate group of all aviation professionals. I don't have all the answers to why this group is so:

• Detailed;
• Verbally adept with writing; and
• Equally skilled at speaking.

Perhaps this is due to the similarity between truck drivers and pilots. Of course, I'm smiling as I write this, but have you ever noticed how both pilots and truck drivers have the gift of gab?

What Is Aviation Safety Policy

An aviation safety policy is a document in safety management systems that outlines the core, important safety information that underlies your SMS.

This required document should outline your organization’s;

Communication to the Right Person Is Good Communication

It’s no secret that many if not a majority of all aviation accidents are a direct result of a lack of communication. Generally, we think of lack of communication as

• No communication whatsoever
• Misinformation or insufficient information

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.

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.

Customizing Your SMS Implementation Plan

Aviation companies of all shapes and sizes can benefit from a safety management system or SMS, but when faced with implementing one, small organizations can easily find themselves overwhelmed by the requirements.

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.

What Is SMS Design

In aviation safety, SMS design is the framework upon which operations run safely.

SMS design is encapsulated in the Safety Risk Management pillar of the 4 Pillars of SMS. Implementing the design of your SMS will be the first major accomplishment of your safety program.

Definition of Acceptable Level of Safety in Aviation SMS

Acceptable Level of Safety (ALoS) in Aviation SMS is how you define the maximum level of risk you are willing to accept as “reasonable.”

Safety Management Systems Drive Efficiency

I believe the primary motivation of safety management systems (SMS) in aviation is efficiency. Of course, safety and looking out for the health and well-being of others is incredibly important, that goes without saying, but there are more consequences of safety risks than simply injuries to consider.

Some accidents and mistakes cost time and money rather than lives. Preventing those types of incidents is incredibly important to aviation as well.