SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Purpose of Non-Punitive Reporting Policies in Aviation SMS Programs

Dedicated, hard-working safety managers drive the setup of airline and airports' aviation safety management systems (SMS).

These safety managers are often left to decipher ambiguous requirements that are open to multiple interpretations. This comes into play, especially when upper management wants to "pencil-whip" an aviation SMS and merely check the boxes.

What Is a Risk Assessment

Airport SMS programs and Airline SMS programs need to use a formal process for ranking various risks. Risk assessments satisfy this need and, based on your Acceptable Level of Safety policy, allow you to know which actions to take next on the issue you are assessing.

The risk assessment process in aviation SMS starts with discovery, which usually happens via:

Incentives Are the Key to Proactive Risk Management

Incentive (or lack of) will make or break an aviation safety management system (SMS).

Without fail, aviation SMS that perform at a proactive risk management level have specific incentives that fit the needs of the organization.

Immature programs struggle to cultivate incentives for several reasons,

Data Mining Is the Foundation of Predictive Risk Management

Predictive risk management is one of the primary goals of an aviation safety management system (SMS). Predictive risk management allows operators to identify safety issues and spot trends before they result in a

• near-miss,
• incident, or
• accident.

Safety Managers Are Dedicated Lot

Aviation safety managers are among the best people I've ever worked with. What does this tell you? Maybe my exposure is severely limited?

During my life, I've worked a lot with:

• Military officers;
• Loggers;
• Oilfield workers;
• Government bureaucrats;

Hazard Identification Training and Safety Reporting in Aviation SMS

Hazard identification training and safety reporting can be seen as the beginning of the aviation risk management cycle in aviation safety management systems (SMS).

Is this the first step in the aviation risk management life-cycle? We shouldn't say this because employees and stakeholders reporting safety issues must be trained on what type of safety reports management wishes to process.

SMS' Risk Management Seldom Reaches Full Potential

Risk management processes in aviation safety management systems (SMS) offer service providers structure for:

• Hazard identification;
• Hazard reporting;
• Risk quantification;

Changes Are Delicate

The systems, procedures, and regulations of aviation service providers are as multifaceted as just about any industry in the world. We can imagine it as a house of cards, where all of the various elements lean on each other to form what we know as the aviation industry.

The aviation industry has matured significantly in the past one hundred years since the first scheduled airline flight in 1914. Change is inevitable.

Poor Safety Reporting Cultures Invite Opportunities for Loss

Safety reports from aviation service providers' employees are important resources for the detection and prevention of potential safety hazards. One of the biggest challenges for aviation safety managers is to obtain safety reports from employees.

Obstacles that contribute to this challenge are common:

• Difficult reporting processes;
• No hazard identification training;
• Lack of recurring encouragement;

How Well Do You Understand Risk Management in Your SMS?

Aviation safety managers are tasked with managing all aspects of fully implemented aviation safety management systems (SMS). Naturally, most laypersons imagine safety managers reacting to accidents, incidents, and irregularities (issues or events) as their primary job function.

It is also probable that most managers outside the safety department