Industry experts weigh in on what makes an effective safety management system and how these tools can enhance aircraft performance for operators large and small.
Safety management systems (SMS) have long been mandated for large commercial airlines to document incidents and identify best practices for maintenance, inspection and operation. New technological innovations are making advanced SMS platforms more accessible and easier to implement for smaller operators and their MROs as well, allowing them to pinpoint risk factors faster and improve their practices accordingly.
“As an operator, you should be collecting an immense volume of aircraft data to ensure predictability,” said Mark Baier, CEO of Aviation Manuals. “Anytime you fly, do maintenance or experience an event, you should analyze data through a risk assessment tool. In the past, this process was typically addressed using Excel and Word files. Today, software systems and tools are the most effective and efficient ways to manage safety.”
Constant Aviation recently implemented a new SMS tailored for its MRO business that is cloud based, fully electronic and administered through a customized database and reporting system. “Our solution is a variant of the standard SMS program but has enhancements that are unique to aircraft maintenance and the functions of an independent MRO,” said Kent Stauffer, vice present of safety, quality and training for Constant Aviation. “We are the fourth MRO in the nation to receive Active Conformance Status from the FAA, and the first independent MRO to receive the certification that is not tied to a flight department.”
According to Bob Rufli, vice president and director of flight operations for Pentastar Aviation and current chairman of Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF), tracking and measuring safety metrics takes more than just technology.
“It’s what you do with the safety management system, not that you have one,” he said. “As a director of operations, I don’t have visibility at 40,000 feet. And in-flight situations don’t always go as planned. So, as a company and industry, we need to allow our employees the comfort to report incidents without repercussions against their job or opinions on their professional expertise. What the safety management tool does, with a good culture, is encourage people to report incidents. That is the only way for you to see where events are occurring and fix them.”
Collecting the Data
Dr. Bob Baron, president and CEO of the Aviation Consulting Group, notes that critical safety data spans many aspects of aircraft operations. “There are many types of data that can be collected to ensure aircraft safety,” he said. “Some of the data is collected directly from the aircraft, such as FOQA, which gives operating parameters from all aspects of the flight. Other data can be obtained from programs such as MOQA, ASAP, MEDA, safety surveys and interviews.”
Baier emphasizes the important role manual data collection plays in safety management. “The kinds of technology we are seeing on the operational side allow the aircraft to collect some of the critical data. But people collect data as well. For example, you can track the weather conditions. Maintenance data collection is also more of a manual process.”
Rufli adds that safety management should be the responsibility of employees at all levels. “In general, the industry is highly technical, regulated and process driven,” he said. “Pilots have checklists. Mechanics have checklists. They read the manual and follow the standard instructions. What safety management does is allow the people doing the work to let the people managing and setting up the structure see where the problems are occurring.”
Identifying Safety Risks
What constitutes a safety risk can involve many factors. “If the operator has had a junior mechanic inspect the plane 15 times in a row, a risk has been introduced into the aircraft, and you have to change your behavior,” said Baier. “Perhaps a more senior mechanic is needed to give the plane a once over.”
According to Timothy Wade, director of environmental health and safety for Constant Aviation, every process and procedure should be analyzed through the safety risk management process. “Most aviation incidents have multiple smaller causal factors that can be caught through proper risk management,” he said. “Nothing in our organization is off limits when it comes to SMS. And not every improvement is to avoid an incident. Most are to enhance the well-being of the company. Said in another way, by practicing the true tenants of SMS within the business, the actual risks of aircraft maintenance are addressed in the overarching behaviors and processes before they require you to actually perform the tasks.”
To optimize the benefits of the SMS, Dr. Baron suggests developing and using the following Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs):
Organization/Safety Culture
- Number of safety reports received
- Number of safety newsletters
- Number of management walk-arounds
Flight Operations
- Number of unstable approaches
Maintenance
- Number of MEL items
- Percentage of work orders with a difference > 10% between the expected lead time and the actual processing time
Emergency Response Planning
- Number of emergency drills
While having an SMS is not required by the FAA for all operators, the current guidelines could change. “SMS mandates vary by countries and types of operators,” said Dr. Baron. “As far as the U.S. goes, SMS is currently mandatory for Part 121 airlines and Part 139 airports. While SMS is currently voluntary for other types of operators, including MROs, non-Part 121 airlines and Part 135 charter companies, it is very likely that the FAA will also mandate an SMS for these types of operators in the very near future.”
Performance Benefits
The benefits of implementing an SMS extend well beyond the realm of safety, says Wade. “An SMS program will enhance the functioning of every aspect of your organization, no matter how big or small.”
Rufli agrees, noting the important role company culture plays in leveraging SMS technology. “There’s no doubt, an SMS improves your business as much as it does your safety. Ultimately, it gets back to culture. What you are trying to do here is take each experience and document it, so everyone in the organization is working off the same playbook — and so there is no wiggle room for anyone to perform tasks that are either non-compliant or careless, intentional or not.”
Stauffer advises tailoring the SMS to the operator’s specific needs. “Done correctly, an SMS program is not a hinderance. It is an enhancement,” he said. “Most work disruptions are due to risks that can be caught with a good program.”
Aggregating Data Industry-wide
In the future, Baier hopes to see SMS data collected and analyzed across operators globally. “I think what the future holds is that the SMS is going to become a mainstream tool like CRM has become,” he noted. “There should be some way for the data to be exportable in a common format so the aggregate data can be looked at by the FAA.”
Whether an SMS becomes universally mandated or not, Dr. Baron stresses that these systems remain highly effective at identifying hazards and reducing risks. “SMS is not an add-on,” he said. “Operators already have most of the SMS components in place. An SMS just ‘ties it all together.’ It is also scalable, so even small operators can implement an SMS with an additional drain on resources.”
Baier added, “We are an incredibly safe industry. Our safety record is fabulous. Along with policies, procedures and manuals, the SMS should be viewed as just one part of an overall professional approach to safety.”
