Unfortunately, safety culture surveys are often not high on the priority list of aviation safety management system (SMS) implementations. And judging by surveys that I have seen, they are often written with the candor and creativity of a Driver’s Education Manual.
Which is too bad...
Because fun, creative, regular, and *short* safety surveys can be a truly fantastic addition to a safety manager’s bag of tricks.
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion
Every continuously-improving safety program will fail when employees are not involved in identifying and reporting safety hazards. Getting workers to participate in their aviation safety management system (SMS) is all about making the SMS personal. People care more about things that directly involve and matter to them.
An aviation safety manager functions as the primary bridge between an SMS implementation and the employees – he/she IS the force of “personal.”
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion
Like safety training, safety promotion in aviation safety management systems (SMS) is wrought with rigid material that screams in so many ways, “tune me out!”
Much of the safety promotion information doled out at workplaces looks more like an IKEA how-to manual than serving as a tool to make employees cheer for, and feel as if they are true contributors to their aviation SMS.
Safety promotion is among the most important elements in every aviation SMS implementation.
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion
The Northern Hemisphere is blanketed in winter, which involves, cold, ice, many long nights, and grey days.
For human fatigue that means two things:
Winter fatigue is a real, medically proven problem that affects many people.
Since November 2006, ICAO mandated that aviation service providers implement formal aviation safety management systems (SMS). The objective of the aviation SMS is to:
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion, FAA Compliance
Safety transparency is a big deal in aviation safety management systems (SMS). On one hand, employees need protection from managerial reprisals and negative peer pressure when self-reporting errors and mistakes. On the other hand, employees are genuinely interested in learning what dangers lurk in the workplace and how to avoid these dangers.
How much safety information should be shared?
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion
Aviation safety training and education is an essential building block for safety culture. Safety culture is understandably important for aviation service providers that are investing in aviation safety management systems (SMS). Without a healthy safety culture, SMS will never deliver the expected results and money will be wasted.
Accountable executives and safety teams must consider whether poor performance of their aviation SMS is a result of lack of training, or a deeper, more sinister safety culture issue.
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion
Aviation safety management systems (SMS) have been required by most aviation service providers since the November 2006 ICAO mandate. To add structure to SMS implementations and to educate safety professionals, ICAO provides SMS implementation guidance in the form of a Safety Management Manual (SMM), now in the fourth edition.
In the SMM, aviation SMS implementation requirements are logically grouped under four components (also known as four pillars):
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion
Surveys seem a bit old-fashioned. That’s probably because they are.
Surveys have been around and popular for years. There are many uses for safety surveys besides getting the opinions of the workforce. Surveys are also useful for
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion
For most aviation service providers, the simple act of getting employees to report potential safety hazards is a constant challenge.
Expectations of the majority of employees are:
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion
These two on-demand videos offer:
