Sep4Written by:Chris Howell
9/4/2007 3:00 PM 
Ask many operators why they need an effective aviation SMS and you will generally receive the response: regulatory compliance! Let's face it, flying is safe. Much safer than a car. We talk to vendors who want an aviation SMS, whether it be an FAA SMS program, ICAO SMS program or the Transport Canada SMS program, and they tell me: "Our customers want an aviation SMS just so they can check the box."
Now I'm scared...
In the past 4 months, there have been several aviation accidents, but the one that affected me the most was a small plane crashing in Lake Hood yesterday. Luckily, a family of four (with two dogs) walked away. I don't know whether the pilot participates in a formal aviation SMS. Strangely, the plane landed (crashed) on the lawn of the DOT building, tearing off the floats. I remember clearly the harrowing rides in float planes in Southeast Alaska. I was impressed by the attitudes of employees working at the aviation organizations toward unsafe acts and conditions. They were already practicing satisfactory safety habits. Most people are concerned about aviation safety, especially if they fly daily.
What am I getting at? Why do they need formal FAA SMS regulations? I think I'll spend the day reading the ICAO SMS manual again. For your convenience, I place the link below. I had the 2006 version on aviation-sms.com, but found that it was updated to the 2009 version. So I "upgraded" to provide this resource here.
THE ICAO SAFETY MANAGEMENT MANUAL (about 5.5Mb)
So what is the purpose of the aviation SMS?
- To have "Zero accidents" or serious incidents?
- To reduce hazards?
- To improve employees perception of aviation safety?
- To reduce errors when interacting with hazards? or
- To comply with SMS regulations?
It is true that an effective aviation SMS will help accomplish these goals, but the main purpose of implementing an SMS should be to save money. Flying aircraft is expensive. If you can save money while accomplishing the above goals and objectives, than everybody wins. To learn how your organization can save money, contact Gary Williams at gwilliams@aviation-sms.com for more information. He has some very good ideas how aviation SMS saves an organization money.
Gary was instrumental in creating the "Bottom Line Report" found in SMS Pro's "Safety Performance Monitoring" module. SMS Pro's Safety Performance Monitor displays an organization's Key Performance Indicators in the aviation safety management system. Your top management and SMS auditors will really love you when they see the Safety Performance Monitor, whether you are attempting to comply with the FAA SMS, ICAO SMS or Transport Canada SMS.
So how can we save money with implementing an effective aviation SMS? Gary Williams has the answer. He can also provide a demo of SMS Pro upon request.
For additional information on NWDS visit our website atwww.nwds-ak.com and www.aviation-sms.com to learn more about SMS Pro™.
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