Can You Wing it With Safety?
Feb 16, 2010 :: Global Aerospace's inaugural SM4 newsletter. Paste the following link in your web browser to access the Global-Aero SM4 webpage:http://www.global-aero.co.uk/sm4/articles/article4.php
Is your organization safe? How close to the edge are you operating? An accident-free history doesn’t cut it and operators who “wing it” may not know how close they are to a life-changing surprise. Know your risks and exposure level with an SMS to prevent accidents and incidents.
What is SMS?
A Safety Management System (SMS) has four components, and when combined properly, they result in a high performance safe organization.
Do you really need a Safety Management System? Yes. For one thing, there is the issue of regulatory compliance; some countries like Bermuda and France already require proof of a formal SMS for Part 91 operators. ICAO (the U.S. is a signatory) will implement rules requiring evidence of SMS in November 2011) and the FAA is evaluating the potential for new domestic rules related to SMS.
More importantly, SMS just makes good business sense.
Individuals in your organization are expected to achieve the highest levels of certification (ATP, the NBAA CAM etc.), why shouldn’t you expect the same of your organization? A Safety Management System formally connects all of an aviation organization’s elements into a comprehensive risk control program, is part of an IS-BAO Registration, and can help you obtain recognition by Wyvern, ARG/US, ACSF and HAI Platinum.
Assessing Your Current “System”
Once you commit to developing a formal Safety Management System, the first steps relate to honestly assessing your organization’s current safety status. If you have a comprehensive Operations Manual, Emergency Response Plan and a formalized approach to safety, you are already close to registration criteria. The difference between a typical robust safety program and a recognized “SMS” lies in the way the organization collects, documents, tracks, evaluates and uses their safety information.
I can’t overemphasize the importance of honesty in the initial assessment process. Dr. Tony Kern discusses self-assessment pitfalls in his article, Compared to What. You can reduce bias by using an outside evaluator who is recognized by IBAC. An outside assessment usually takes less than two days and the fresh perspective will be valuable to you and your team. Note: ISBAO registration does not require an initial outside assessment.
The good news is that there are a number of publicly available tools that you can use to conduct your initial assessment. Most of the tools follow a “checklist” protocol and don’t require you to learn a significant amount of new terminology. Remember the process was designed by aviation professionals (pilots and maintainers) to be used by aviation professionals.
Your analysis (the SMS professionals call this a “Gap Analysis”) will help you understand the current condition of your safety program. As you identify process gaps, consider updating your operations manual and ERP; you might need to create your hazard and risk identification program, forms, mitigation and reporting system. If you do not have the resources to do this “in-house”, there are several companies and consultants that can assist you. Ask your friends in the business to give you a name or two. Hopefully, one of those names will be Baldwin Aviation.
How Long Will It Take?
The amount of time it takes to update your safety program will depend on the results of your assessment and your commitment to SMS. It can take a long time for a flight operation to adapt to an SMS; however, placing the structure with the Four Components can be done quickly. My first experience implementing the initial phase of an IS-BAO compliant SMS took eighteen months for an average flight department. With this in mind, we developed proprietary software and a structured program designed for quick adaptation so it is now possible to accomplish this in just 4-5 months. The timeline is determined by your level of motivation and available resources, and whether it’s a year-end performance goal or a regulatory requirement.
Beyond SMS…The Really Good Stuff
In future issues of SM4, we will discuss the many ways an SMS program works to support your business model and response capability.
