Without fail, every aviation safety manager I have met has the following attributes:
This tells me that accountable executives are appointing the correct types of employees to carry out this very important task of both implementing and managing the aviation safety management system (SMS).
Aviation SMS implementations are not sprints, but marathons. Every successful SMS implementation I've seen relies upon two important elements:
The safety champion may (or may not) be the safety manager or Director of Safety. Sometimes an SMS consultant may act as the safety champion. Regardless, without a safety champion to motivate and direct company personnel to adopt required SMS policies and procedures, the SMS will fail. Safety managers have become not only key safety personnel but have moved into the ranks of aviation service providers' key management personnel.
Most SMS implementations require three to five years to
Most safety managers are impatient to quickly accomplish the task to which they have been assigned. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but SMS implementations never cease. You will be continuously
OK, an SMS implementation never stops. But what happens if I cannot stand to remain with this particular company for the duration of this SMS implementation?
Knowing how to depart a company may help safety managers realistically plan their departure without leaving their employers in an awful mess. Before you leave, you may want to create a list of recurring tasks to guide the next safety manager.
As I referred to above, mature SMS implementations take considerable time to develop. Generally, three to five years will be required if everything falls into place. The biggest SMS implementation killers are:
Previous SMS implementation steps build on one another. If an aviation service provider's SMS fails, safety teams may be forced to start all over again.
An uncommon, but recurring example is when a safety manager leaves the company and takes his personal laptop with him. For years, a safety manager may have been using a personal laptop to store the company's
You may be doing this right now.
I have seen this happen twice in the past five years. You do not want to do this.
When departing safety managers depart with the data, the new safety manager has little recourse but to humbly request the SMS database and documentation. If the previous safety manager left the company resentfully, there may be little chance of receiving the SMS data.
If this were you doing the begging, would you hold the memory of your predecessor in high regard? I doubt it. Nor would the other managers. This is a good example of a safety manager burning their bridge.
The aviation safety world is a small place. Reputations are easily tarnished, so don't make this mistake.
If you are leaving the company, make sure your replacement has access to your personal email address or phone number. Most departing safety professionals are willing to help their replacements. However, when safety managers leave with bitter feelings that their hard work was unappreciated, they may simply say, "Let the company suffer and rebuild."
A common issue resulting from the turnover of key safety personnel is that there is usually nobody trained to continue the SMS before the primary safety manager leaves the company. An aviation SMS implementation will either
Hopefully, you won't want to see all your effort wasted. You may want to offer to be available in case of questions or "emergencies."
At least once each year, we see safety managers unexpectedly leave their companies with little advance notice. In most cases, there isn't anyone qualified or ready to resume the SMS implementation once the primary safety manager leaves the company. This is due to:
Sudden departures of key safety personnel are extremely difficult for smaller operators. Often the safety managers are:
We are taught very early in our careers not to quit a job until we have another position secured. Safety managers are mature. They have been around the block and always have had considerable employment experience. Therefore, these astute managers will seek a new position at another company before leaving the security of their present job. This is smart.
This leads us to hope that senior management maintains a good working relationship with the safety department. Unfortunately, the audience who would benefit from this advice will not be reading this blog article.
At a minimum, safety managers should provide at least two to four weeks' notice to management before moving to another job. If this SMS implementation was your baby, then you understand how much work went into getting the SMS up and running. In the interests of safety, I'm hoping you are not secretly wishing that the company's SMS will fail after your departure.
Offering a generous advance notice will pay a small dividend if you need future referrals or if you decide to come back to the company. You will be surprised at how many safety managers believe the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, only to realize how much great grass they had at their previous job. More than once we have seen safety managers land back at the company where they implemented their first SMS.
Another dividend may surface from your generosity to support your previous employer's SMS. You may provide support (paid or otherwise). If otherwise, the dividend I see is from future consulting jobs.
More than one safety manager becomes an aviation safety consultant after they retire. Having great references regarding your professional conduct is always beneficial for new SMS consultants.
Very few people maintain the same job or work for the same company throughout their lifetime. Most of us want a change of scenery or fresh challenges at some point in our lives.
How you leave your company will have a lasting impact on how fellow employees and supervisors will think of you. Since the aviation industry is a very small world, it is always best to leave a company with all bridges standing.
Good luck.
Do you have the necessary tools to manage your SMS? The Safety-Quality Assurance Solution has all the tools necessary for regulatory compliance with SMS documentation requirements.
An SMS database significantly reduces risk to the accountable executive when there is a change of safety personnel. There are low-cost SMS solutions, and as you can imagine, you don't want the cheapest.
Last updated September 2024.