SMS Pro Aviation Safety Software Blog 4 Airlines & Airports

Aviation Safety Software Prioritizes Safety

Most of us have experienced the following: sitting on the runway for over an hour wondering why the plane isn’t moving. The pilot has already apologized and given the “reason” for the delay: the daunting and nebulous “technical difficulties.”

For passengers, this type of situation is frustrating at best, and at worst unnerving, even scary.

Yet even when sitting on the tarmac, frustrated and confused, passengers should take comfort in the fact that the aviation industry takes countless precautions to keep passengers safe.

Safety Reporting Essential to Aviation Risk Management

Timely reporting of hazards, incidents, or accidents is seen as an essential activity of aviation safety and risk management. I can safely say that without reported hazards or safety issues, there will be:

• little operational improvement and a
• needless waste of resources.

Without an effective hazard/safety reporting culture, there is no way that any aviation service provider can demonstrate continuous improvement to their aviation safety management system (SMS).

Why This Aviation Safety Chart Is Important

Having "real-time" safety charts saves aviation safety managers, executives, and employees a lot of work and keeps them informed of the latest hazards and risks affecting aviation-centric operations.

Having access to real-time safety charts allows management to monitor your SMS program at a glance, rather than having to navigate through your software or aviation safety database to find the desired information. Over longer periods of time, this saved time and energy adds up to substantial sums, especially when you consider:

Knowing Who Is Involved in Your Aviation SMS

For every aviation safety management system (SMS), the accountable executive must ensure the SMS is properly implemented and performing in all areas of the organization. To achieve this end, safety management teams work to ensure that all personnel participate in the aviation SMS.

Wishes and reality are two different ideas. The reality is that most employees care about the SMS about as much as the company's traditional safety program.

You may remember the traditional safety program where

Are Aviation SMS Software Programs Necessary?

Most aviation companies are profit driven. Aviation service providers attempt to provide safe services while providing a return on investment.

Many upper-level managers at smaller companies believe that safety managers don't need modern aviation safety management databases to manage aviation safety management systems (SMS) documentation requirements.

They may be right. Not every company should buy these SMS tools.

Aviation Safety Managers Need SMS Management Tools

Safety managers are resourceful professionals. Their respective companies demand that they provide results on extremely limited budgets. Many times safety managers are appointed without adequate training. In these cases, safety managers are kicked into the deep end of the swimming pool.

Sink or swim, safety manager.

Most often, the accountable executive doesn't understand all the documentation requirements in an aviation safety management system (SMS).

Aviation Safety Reporting Database Required - Spreadsheets Equal Noncompliance

Empirical evidence and results from historical aviation accident investigations have shown that accidents are often preceded by safety-related incidents that reveal the presence of untreated hazards.

These "leading indicators" are commonly known to employees and are usually not formally reported in an aviation safety management system (SMS) database.

Leading indicators can take one of several forms:

• Accidents;
• Incidents; and

Why Use Hazard Reporting Forms in Aviation Safety Programs?

Web-based hazard reporting templates or forms are key to the healthy performance of aviation safety management systems (SMS). Safety cultures depend on well-designed, user-friendly tools to report and manage reported safety concerns.

Without user-friendly safety reporting forms, there are only a few other options for safety managers to receive hazard and safety reports from

• employees,
• customers,
• suppliers and

What Is Aviation Safety Software?

For over a dozen years, the majority of commercial aviation service providers around the world have been working towards compliance with ICAO's aviation safety management system (SMS) guidelines.

Transport Canada's SMS, as well as the Australia Civil Aviation Safety Authority's SMS, are world leaders in their SMS implementations and enforcement of ICAO's SMS guidelines.

Safety professionals around the world can learn some very valuable lessons from those who have already implemented aviation SMS.

Safety Manager Dilemma: Deciding Which SMS Software Solution?

Modern aviation Safety Management System (SMS) database software provides

• safety reporting system;
• full-featured investigation tools;
• corrective and preventive action tracking;
• proactive hazard analysis;
• hazard register;