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

In the changing world of aviation regulations, safety remains non-negotiable. A robust Safety Management System (SMS) has become the backbone of any organization striving to mitigate risks and ensure compliance with regulatory standards, such as those set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and national civil aviation authorities like the FAA or EASA.

For new safety managers, training staff on SMS concepts can feel overwhelming, especially when tasked with guiding accountable executives—senior leaders responsible for SMS oversight. These executives, often juggling multiple responsibilities, need clear, actionable steps to demonstrate SMS compliance effectively.

SMS Pro Aligns With FAA April 2024 Final Rulemaking

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has updated the Safety Management System (SMS) requirements for Part 121 operators under 14 CFR Part 5, as outlined in the April 2024 final rulemaking.

These updates introduce specific requirements aimed at enhancing safety through improved

• ethical standards,
• system interfaces,
• hazard reporting, and
• recordkeeping.

SMS Pro Ensures FAA Part 5 Compliance

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Part 5 regulations mandate a structured Safety Management System (SMS) for certificate holders, including

• Part 121,
• Part 135,
• Part 91.
• 147 air tour operators, and
• certain Part 21 manufacturers.

Recurrent SMS Training Can Be Expensive

Aviation safety management systems (SMS) require both initial and recurrent SMS training for all employees. Safety professionals recognize this requirement once they reach Phase 2 of the SMS implementation.

For small companies with 20 to 100 employees, it is not feasible to send all employees to aviation SMS training courses.

Effort Needed Employee Participation in Aviation Safety Programs

The more people involved in the aviation field take advantage of these aviation safety programs, the safer the industry is likely to be.

Encouraging participation in these programs can be as simple as word of mouth referrals or posting program information on bulletin boards at the local fixed base operator (FBO).

However, safety promotion efforts alone are seldom enough to motivate employees to actively involve themselves in a safety program.

A Culture of Respect

In order to understand the idea of safety culture within the aviation industry, we must first understand the respect attributed to:

• Pilots;
• Mechanics;
• Controllers;
• Dispatchers; and
• All others needed to make the system function.

Why Is Teamwork Important?

Teamwork is a word used often in the workplace. We’ve all heard that it’s important to work together. Why cover the same ground again?

Safety Management Systems Bore Most Employees

Unlike those who study and create safety management systems (SMS), to the average employee these programs can be boring.

It’s not that the average employee doesn’t value safety; it’s just that they need to see how these programs are beneficial to them personally.

Understanding What Aviation Safety Culture Is

“Safety culture” is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in aviation safety management systems (SMS) as a vague reference to different aspects of safety.

Understanding the meaning of aviation safety culture is less practiced in philosophy as it is recognition of what it looks like in actual practice for:

Certification vs. Qualification

Last year my wife went to the dentist to have a filling put into one of her teeth. She had severe pain for several days, went back to the dentist, and found out that he had put the filling in backward. He replaced it with a new filling but the next day it fell out of her tooth.

We chose a different dentist this time around.