SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Safety Chart: How Top Reporters Improve Aviation SMS' Safety Culture

Posted by Tyler Britton on Oct 5, 2022 6:00:00 AM

What Is Safety Culture Really?

"Safety culture" in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot and in many types of SMS conversations.

Yet “safety culture” is also a phrase that rarely receives a concise definition, and is often used to convey “a general sense of safety.”

This definition is not good enough. What does safety culture mean to you? Has your perception of safety culture changed within the past five years? Has your definition remained constant? Is there a "best-in-class" safety culture type?

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

4 Management Failures That Kill Aviation SMS Implementations

Posted by Tyler Britton on Sep 7, 2022 6:00:00 AM

More Insidious than Confrontational

Formal aviation safety management systems (SMS) are continually being implemented across the world for over a dozen years now. Some are successful, while many are not. Failed or under-performing aviation SMS is a concern for account executives and the safety team.

How can management increase the chance of a successful SMS implementation?

How do safety managers remain alert to risks to their SMS implementation?

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

What You Need to Know about ISAGO Ground Operations in Aviation Risk Management

Posted by Tyler Britton on Aug 31, 2022 6:00:00 AM

Ground Handling Accidents in Aviation Risk Management

A couple of months ago I was sitting on a Boeing 737 jet waiting for the rest of the passengers to board the plane.

My seat was near the front of the aircraft, and I had a central view of ground handling operations. Since I boarded nice and early, I had nothing better to do than sit and observe the bustling of workers, bags, and carts below me.

As I was watching, I saw one of the ground handlers come flying in on one of his carts, narrowly passing between a piece of ground equipment and another vehicle, and then come to an abrupt stop near the 737. Moreover, his route to the 737 could hardly be called standard operating procedure.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

9 Best Strategies for Aviation Safety Audit Preparation [Free Audit Checklists]

Posted by Tyler Britton on Aug 17, 2022 6:00:00 AM

Audit Performance Is 90% Aviation Safety Audit Preparation

Okay, I made up the “90%” figure, but aviation safety audit preparation undoubtedly plays a huge role in how you perform aviation SMS audits. Considering that jobs may depend on audit performance, passing them is extremely critical. But you already know this.

Nonetheless when aviation SMS auditors are coming – and the stress level rises – it’s not always easy to prioritize getting prepared.

So much of audit preparation is going depend simply on your ability to know how to prepare.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

Do You Really Know What’s Going On in Your Aviation SMS Program?

Posted by Tyler Britton on Jun 28, 2022 6:00:00 AM

Too Complex for One Person

The long and short of is this: don’t fool yourself. You’re just one person. One component in the clock that makes your aviation safety management system (SMS) tick.

Don’t get me wrong, as an aviation safety manager, inspector, executive, etc. you may be central in keeping the word safety in your SMS program. The basic fact remains that the weight and complexity inherent in all SMS programs – even small programs – are quickly outstripping anyone’s ability to be in the know of everything.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

Why Employees Can’t Stand Aviation SMS Training

Posted by Tyler Britton on May 25, 2022 6:00:00 AM

Aviation SMS Training Resistance More than Just “Boring”

I hardly need to point out how critical aviation SMS training is for the ongoing success of any aviation safety program.

Operators with well-developed safety training strategies often reap the benefits of a resilient, high functioning aviation safety management system (SMS).

Effective SMS training can mean the difference between obligatory aviation risk management performance and willing, highly active SMS participation by all employees.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

10 Great Reports to Monitor Safety Performance in SMS - with Examples

Posted by Christopher Howell on Sep 7, 2021 6:06:00 AM

Most Important Questions to Monitor Safety Performance in SMS

Monitoring safety performance in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is undoubtedly one of the most important tasks you will undertake in your SMS. Regulatory requirements turn to monitoring the performance of the SMS from a "nice-to-have program" for reducing risk and avoiding accidents to a "must have and must demonstrate proof" to comply with SMS regulatory requirements.

Safety performance monitoring is integral for maintaining Safety Assurance and the integrity of your SMS program.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

10 Most Important Hazard Reporting Forms Aviation SMS

Posted by Tyler Britton on Sep 2, 2021 5:59:00 AM

How to Use Hazard Reporting Forms

It’s hard to underestimate the value that high-quality hazard reporting forms provide your aviation SMS.

Hazard reporting quite literally provides the underpinning for your risk management activities. No hazard reports...nothing for you to manage.

Hazard reporting forms provide incentives, organization, and guidance for employees when they detect irregularities in the operational environment. Having specific questions for specific types of issues makes reporting easier and faster than having vague or general questions.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

2 Reasons Top Safety Managers Fail in Aviation SMS

Posted by Christopher Howell on Aug 26, 2021 6:00:00 AM

Aviation SMS Implemented in Top-Down Approach

Every aviation safety management system (SMS) must be implemented in a top-down fashion.

There can be no other way, regardless of how liberal you think your company is.

But what is the top-down approach, and why are safety managers failing at SMS implementations when using this "top-down" SMS implementation strategy?

After witnessing many SMS implementations over the past dozen years, we have some observations regarding what works for safety managers and what may not.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

3 Most Common (Unknown) Mistakes in Aviation SMS Implementations

Posted by Tyler Britton on Jul 27, 2021 6:00:00 AM

Seeking Out Mistakes in Aviation SMS Implementations

Being honest about mistakes is hard.

It’s even harder to try and seek out mistakes you are making that you do not know you are making.

In aviation safety management systems (SMS), safety managers are tasked with actively exploring, understanding, and seeking out failures in the program to improve them. Even unknown failures are holes in the safety structure of the SMS.

In many significant ways, the success of aviation SMS implementations depends on how honestly and thoroughly such failures are addressed.

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Topics: 3-Safety Assurance

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