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

Why Monitor Aviation Safety Culture Performance

Healthy aviation safety culture results in safety performance.

Other than the bureaucratic elements of SMS, you could even make an argument that safety culture is safety performance.

Employee Resistance in Aviation SMS Implementations

The majority of aviation service providers are required to implement formal aviation safety management systems (SMS) per the November 2006 ICAO mandate.

What Does It Mean to Restructure Aviation SMS Implementations

Occasionally aviation safety managers will want to do a turn and pivot with the direction of their aviation safety management system (SMS) implementation. What this looks like is restructuring.

The Obvious Reasons

We are generally aware of the more straightforward indicators of unhealthy aviation safety management systems (SMS).

Things like:

The Real Purpose of Gap Analysis

A true aviation SMS implementation takes years and a lot of hard work to effect lasting change. SMS implementations can take considerably longer due to:

• Poor gap analyses;
• Ineffective procedures;
• Unstable safety management teams;

Safety Auditors Are a Rare Breed of Personality Traits

Good aviation safety auditors play a vital role in the ability of an aviation safety management system (SMS) to identify

• substandard safety performance; and
• ways in which the SMS can improve.

How to Prove Your Aviation SMS Is Working

Proving to stakeholders that your aviation safety management system is working is simply a matter of showing that the primary goal of SMS is being achieved - namely, that:

• Operational environment is safer; and

Aviation Safety Manager's Allegiance to Company

You depend on your safety manager to monitor and improve safety in your area of operations, regardless of whether you are an:

• Airline Pilot;
• Aviation maintenance technician;
• Baggage handler; or

What Is Aviation Safety Culture

By definition, aviation safety culture is an organization’s commitment to safety. I tend to find this definition limiting.

Perhaps a better way to understand safety culture is the means of realizing safety success, in which commitment is just one part.

Management Distancing Themselves From Aviation SMS

A common misperception in the aviation industry regarding safety management is that it is primarily a responsibility of the safety manager to work on all safety related matters.