A robust Safety Management System (SMS) is essential for managing risks and preventing incidents. For aviation safety managers and accountable executives—senior leaders responsible for SMS oversight—fostering a strong safety culture is a critical goal.
A Hazard Risk Register, a centralized tool for documenting and managing hazards, plays a pivotal role in achieving this by encouraging proactive hazard reporting, boosting staff engagement, and reinforcing a safety-first mindset.
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion, 2-Safety Risk Management, Risk Management Training, Safety Culture
For aviation safety managers, training employees on Safety Management System (SMS) concepts is a critical yet challenging task. Within the high-stakes environment of aviation safety risk management, ensuring that staff understand hazard reporting, risk management, and just culture is essential for preventing incidents and maintaining compliance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and national civil aviation authorities like the FAA or EASA.
New safety managers often struggle to know where to start, as these concepts can seem abstract or complex to frontline workers like pilots, ground crew, or maintenance staff.
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion, 2-Safety Risk Management, Risk Management Training
Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS) provide a structured framework to manage risks, ensuring safe operations across airlines, airports, and aviation service providers. A critical pillar of SMS is safety assurance, which focuses on monitoring, evaluating, and improving safety performance. For aviation safety managers, mastering safety assurance best practices is essential to maintain compliance, mitigate risks, and foster a proactive safety culture.
Topics: 3-Safety Assurance, Risk Management Training, FAA Compliance
Setting safety goals and objectives in an aviation Safety Management System (SMS) manual, as outlined in TOC 1.6, is essential for driving continuous improvement and ensuring compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards.
These goals guide organizations in measuring safety performance, reducing risks, and fostering a proactive safety culture.
Topics: Aviation SMS Implementation, 4-Safety Promotion, 1-Safety Policy, Risk Management Training
Aviation safety hinges on proactive risk management, and Safety Management Systems (SMS) provide the framework to achieve this. Within the aviation SMS ecosystem, two voluntary programs—Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) and Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP)—play pivotal roles in enhancing safety.
These programs, widely adopted in the U.S. under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aligned with global standards like those of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), offer unique approaches to hazard identification and risk mitigation.
Topics: 4-Safety Promotion, 3-Safety Assurance, 2-Safety Risk Management, Risk Management Training, FAA Compliance
For new aviation safety managers, preparing for a Safety Management System (SMS) audit is a daunting task. One of the most challenging aspects is coaching accountable executives—senior leaders like CEOs, directors, or operations managers—to play their part in demonstrating SMS compliance.
These executives often lack the time or technical expertise to fully grasp SMS concepts, yet regulators from the FAA, EASA, or ICAO expect them to articulate their role in overseeing safety.
Topics: Aviation SMS Implementation, 3-Safety Assurance, Risk Management Training, FAA Compliance, Safety Culture
In commercial aviation, a robust Safety Management System (SMS) is critical for mitigating risks and ensuring 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.
SMS audits, conducted internally or by regulators, evaluate the effectiveness of an organization’s SMS, identifying strengths and areas for improvement. For aviation safety managers and accountable executives—senior leaders responsible for SMS oversight—addressing audit findings promptly and effectively is essential to maintain compliance, enhance safety performance, and demonstrate leadership.
New safety managers often find the process of handling audit findings daunting, as it involves analyzing gaps, developing corrective actions, and engaging stakeholders.
Selecting the right Safety Management System (SMS) software is critical for aviation organizations aiming to meet regulatory requirements, enhance safety, and streamline operations. With the aviation industry’s increasing focus on proactive risk management, as mandated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), choosing the best SMS software can make or break your safety program. This comprehensive SMS Pro buyer’s guide outlines key criteria, compares top solutions, and explains why SMS Pro stands out as the ideal choice for airlines, airports, MROs, UAS and flight schools.
Topics: Aviation SMS Database, Risk Management Software, Risk Management Training, Quality-Safety Management
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are reshaping aviation, enabling tasks from infrastructure inspections to emergency deliveries. However, their safe integration into airspace hinges on robust risk management.
The Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA), developed by the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems (JARUS), is a cornerstone framework for UAS safety, particularly in EASA’s Specific category. Central to SORA are its 24 Operational Safety Objectives (OSOs), which define the safety measures operators must implement to mitigate risks.
Topics: 3-Safety Assurance, 2-Safety Risk Management, Risk Management Training
For new aviation safety managers, documenting a safety management system (SMS) is a critical yet daunting task, especially when it comes to the risk matrix. The risk matrix is a cornerstone of aviation safety risk management, categorizing risks by severity and likelihood to guide decision-making.
To meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) compliance requirements under 14 CFR Part 5, safety managers must document specific actions for each risk level (e.g., low, medium, high) to ensure hazards are mitigated effectively.
This evergreen guide provides a step-by-step approach to documenting these actions, helping new safety managers create clear, FAA-compliant SMS documentation that enhances safety and streamlines audits.
Topics: Aviation SMS Implementation, 2-Safety Risk Management, Risk Management Training, FAA Compliance
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