SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Aviation Risk Management Requires a Safety Mindset

Aviation risk management is a vital part of being a well rounded pilot. The safety mindset works best every time flying.

Although all components are important, perhaps the most vital of them all is understanding the importance of "aviation risk management."

The textbook definition of risk management is a decision making process that relies on

• situational awareness,
• problem recognition, and
• good judgment

Pros and Cons of Prescriptive vs Performance Based SMS

Performance vs prescriptive based approaches to aviation safety management systems (SMS) is and will increasingly be a hot topic in the aviation industry for years to come.

As it should be.

Because let’s face it, “compliant safety" is not a one size fits all approach, and yet prescriptive safety remains an endemic problem in the aviation industry.

Many of you reading this probably know what I’m talking about whenever you feel an SMS inspector is evaluating your organization either unjustly or too harshly in an SMS audit.

Identifying Mistakes Aviation SMS Implementations

Successful aviation safety programs are self-conscious. That is, safety management teams are extremely sensitive to potential pitfalls and work hard to avoid needless mistakes.

Of course, in the real world practice of safety management, “needless mistakes” are seldom easy to identify ahead of time.

Avoiding needless mistakes in aviation safety management systems (SMS) requires that:

Problem of Aviation SMS Entirely Left to Safety Managers

For many aviation service providers, implementing and sustaining aviation safety management system (SMS) remains the sole province of the safety managers. This is true whether you are an:

• Airline
• Airport;
• Aviation maintenance organization (AMO or MRO);
• FBO;
• ANSP; or

What Are Leading Indicators in Aviation Safety Management?

Mark my words: before long leading indicators in aviation safety management will be ubiquitous in nearly every aviation safety management system (SMS). I say this for several compelling reasons:

• Leading indicators maximize your ability to tap into existing aviation safety performance data;
• They give unparalleled access to information;
• The burst of interest in leading indicators is a natural growth of the digital revolution; and
• They save companies massive amounts of time and exposure from having to perform other, less effective risk management activities.

Purpose of Bowtie Analysis in Aviation SMS

Bowtie analysis is one of the best aviation risk management tools to communicate risk and demonstrate commitment to safety.

Although not universally shared, I've seen that about 10% of smaller operators in the 100 to 500 employee range believe that bowtie is the best way to communicate operational risk and satisfy aviation safety management system (SMS) auditors.

Aviation SMS Provides Structure to Safety Initiatives

An aviation safety management system (SMS) provides service providers with risk management processes that are:

• Globally accepted by the aviation industry;
• Structured and documented to ensure repeatability;
• Implemented organization-wide; and 
• Monitored internally and often externally to assure compliance.

These structured, repeatable processes are custom-designed to satisfy each company's "operational risk profile (ORP). An ORP is a list of hazards, risks and mitigation measures unique to a certain operator based on their aviation industry segment, size and operating theater (where they operate).

What Is Value to Aviation Operations?

Many modern line-level aviation managers maintain an imperfect perception of value relating to cost-effective aviation operations. These immature, untrained value hunters act as if leadership prizes value solely from the bottom-line perspective, no matter where it comes from, or how those dollars magically appear at the bottom of corporate balance sheets.

Your organization's managerial bargain hunters and shrewd negotiators may actually transfer organizational risk to safety as the organization tries to grow and develop their aviation assets. In short, as aviation operations grow, management may attempt to reduce the amount of safety that they enjoyed when they were considerably smaller.

Accountable Executives' SMS Nightmare

In most cases, aviation safety managers are:

• Dedicated;
• Hard-working;
• Resourceful; and
• Excellent communicators.

Accountable executives rely on aviation safety managers to develop, implement and maintain their organizations' aviation safety management system (SMS). Accountable executives are "accountable."

I Thought I Knew the Difference between Hazard and Risk

Quickly, look at the picture at the right.

What is the "hazard?"

What is the "risk?"

I consider myself well-educated with a college education.

I understand English, as it is my first language.

Before I was dragged into the aviation safety management system world in early 2007, I really never considered hazards and risks very deeply. Back in my pre-SMS days, electrical hazard and electrical risk were synonymous.