SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

What Is ICAO’s Requirement for Risk Assessment and Mitigation

Element 2.2 of ICAO’s requirements is for you to develop and maintain a process to:

• Analyze risk;
• Assess risk; and
• Control risk.

Extending Risk Management Education to Upper Management

Safety managers are tasked with "safety management" which can be considered "risk management." As they practice risk management activities, safety managers are expected to actively "react" to reported safety issues or audit findings.

This activity of "putting out fires" is part of the reactive risk management process that your company is probably pretty good at performing.

What Is Change Management

Management of change in aviation SMS is a formal process for facilitating changes in safety programs. Usually, this process is instigated when required changes are going to affect higher-level, systems in the SMS. Smaller changes are handled with corrective actions.

What Is Safety Risk Management Process

Your Safety Risk Management process is how you design your SMS.

First you design and document your SMS, and then update it as your SMS and/or environment changes.

Developing your SRM process, and in turn, designing your SMS happens largely in Phase 3 of aviation SMS Implementation.

Completing your SMS design is a major hurdle, as it is extensive and has many moving parts:

All Aviation Safety Managers Need Tips Using Hazard Registers

A hazard register is a common requirement that aviation regulatory authorities review when they audit a Phase 3 or Phase 4 aviation safety management system (SMS).

I frequently talk to aviation service providers that keep their Hazard Register in Excel format. They say they "review" it every year, but other than the obligatory once-over, I seriously doubt they are capitalizing on the value a hazard register can offer.

Optimize Ability to Monitor, Manage, and Document

Becoming a better safety manager involves looking at how you are currently managing your SMS, and seeing where you can optimize your ability to:

• Manage risk exposure, such as reported safety issues, audits, reviewing control measures, etc.;
• Document your SMS design and actions taken to mitigate exposure;
• Promote the SMS; and
• Monitor safety performance;

What Is Phase 3 of Aviation SMS Implementation

Phase 3 of Aviation SMS implementation is largely about implementing your Safety Risk Management process. Your SRM process is where you document and design your safety management system. Designing your SMS is a two-step process:

• First you design and document your SMS; and
• Second, you update it as your SMS and/or environmental change.

Phase 3 of aviation SMS implementation is a major hurdle because it is extensive, including such things like:

What Is Plan Do Check Act (PDCA)

Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) is a very simple, but remarkable process for driving improvement in the design of your aviation SMS.

Here are the main points of PDCA:

• It is a cycle;
• This cycle is designed to be repeatable; and
• It is designed to improve the processes of your SMS.

The various parts of PDCA are:

Hazard Reporting More Than Just Hazards

“Hazard reporting” is a bit of a misnomer because employees report much more than hazards. Hazards are simply one type of thing that people report. Perhaps a more accurate expression for hazard reporting would be “issue reporting.”

Hazard reporting in SMS includes all types of concerns, such as:

• Quality concerns;
• Operational concerns;

Goals for Hazard Reporting

Knowing what issues employees should be reporting in your SMS requires you always keep the primary goals of hazard reporting in mind:

First, you need to gather data. You use data to:

• Understand your SMS performance;
• Monitor effectiveness of risk controls;
• Mitigate safety concerns; and