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

Regulatory Phrases May Pack an Incredible Punch

When I was in school, both high school and college, English composition professors would frequently remark on my ability to use very few words to say a lot.

It Only Takes One

You know the old expression: it only takes one to poison the well.

We end up writing a lot about resistance to change in aviation safety management systems (SMS) because it’s something many aviation safety managers consistently deal with.

Why Knowing Who Is Reporting Hazards Is Important

Hazard identification and subsequent hazard mitigation strategies are critical for successful, continued operations. Monitoring which groups of employees are reporting safety issues in your aviation safety management system (SMS) allows management to stay abreast of who is involved in the SMS.

Using Trending Charts in Aviation SMS

There are several times each year when managers are interested in trending charts coming from their aviation safety management systems (SMS). These times include during:

• Safety performance monitoring; and

What Are Best Practices for Risk Mitigation in Aviation Safety Management

The term risk mitigation, broadly speaking, means to try and prevent danger. You might think of it as “reducing exposure.”

Definition of Risk Tolerance

Risk tolerance is simply how much risk you are willing to accept. High-risk tolerance is generally not a good idea

What Is Safety Performance Monitoring in Aviation SMS

Safety performance monitoring in aviation SMS is the primary way you will assess your safety program. This assessment happens in two different ways:

Problems Monitoring Control Measures to Reduce Risk

An SMS provides management with a framework to facilitate decision-making and to dynamically shape the operating environment. Continuous improvement is a core element of every mature SMS.

Purpose of Risk Analysis

In aviation SMS, you analyze risk to break an issue down into individual, controllable parts. Based on your analysis, you can assess the safety issue, and understand both what actions need to be taken,

What Is a Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is a method you use to rank the risk of safety issues. You will commonly perform risk assessments on reported safety issues and other identified hazards. Assessments are integral to helping you establish whether or not a given issue is within an Acceptable Level of Safety.