Aviation Safety SMS Data Collection Using Web Based Software
What are the benefits of a healthy aviation SMS data collection culture? Real, measurable savings. Increase your company's bottom line by championing aggressive aviation SMS data collection and measure the results. Only with these results can you convince management that SMS really contributes to the bottom line. Aviation SMS should not be a politically correct term to drop when auditors visit. It should be practiced daily.
Aviation Safety Management Process
Aviation SMS data collection begins when users start submitting reports. Don't limit your aviation SMS data collection efforts to merely hazard reports. Develop your corporate culture to strive for continuous improvement in collecting data about security, quality and compliance issues. SMS Pro's airline/airport hazard reporting system is able to enhance your company's data collection efforts by allowing user's to initially classify their reported issues by safety, security, quality & compliance. If safety managers determine a reported issue should be classified differently than what the reporter suggests, aviation safety managers can re-classify or categorize the issue to suit his whim.
Every aviation SMS data collection tool should have limits on what type of issues you wish to collect. For example, effective aviation SMS data collection efforts should not focus on personnel complaints. Focus on safety, security, quality and compliance. During initial user training, users should be guided as to what type of issues to report. In SMS Pro's issue/hazard reporting database tool, a tab is devoted to "About Reporting Issues." An example of what to place there follows:Type of Aviation Safety (SMS) Issues to Report
Please report all aviation-related issues you feel compromise safety. Even small issues, if reported and corrected, may prevent someone from getting hurt. There are four broad areas regarding aviation safety; Ground Safety, Flight Safety, Aircraft Airworthiness, and Security.Aviation SMS Ground Safety
Please report any issue which, if left uncorrected, may lead to an injury to personnel or damage to assets.Aviation SMS Flight Safety
Please report any issue which, if left uncorrected, may compromise the safety of flight.Aviation SMS Aircraft Airworthiness
Please report any issue which, if left uncorrected, may compromise the airworthiness of company owned aircraft. (The company has a process in place for routine and unscheduled maintenance.) Issues reported may include maintenance technician fatigue, poor workmanship, lack of technical abilities, etc.Aviation Security
Please report any physical or flight security related issue which may either compromise access to company owned aircraft or facilities.What happens when you submit airline/airport accident and incident report?
When you submit a report online, several things happen:You will receive an email thanking you for submitting the issue. There will be an hyperlink in the email that will let you see your issue.
The Aviation Leadership Team will each receive an email notifying them that an issue has been submitted.
The Safety Specialist will classify the issue which includes determination of risk and selection of Responsible Manager. The specialist will also formulate a recommendation.
The Responsible Manager will get an email with notification that the issue has been assigned to him/her. The Responsible Manager will set corrective action plans.
The issues now can be tracked and trended.
Some nice features about SMS Pro's Hazard Reporting Database Tool
SMS Pro's Anonymous Reporting
You can submit reports anonymously. Just check the "Anonymous" box at the beginning of the wizard. There are really two levels of anonymity:When you login, the web-application recognizes you. When you check the anonymous box, the program blocks anyone else from knowing who you are. When you submit an anonymous report using the program, you can view the status of your anonymous issue when you login.
The second level is to submit an anonymous paper report. Your report will be entered into the system, but there is no way for you to monitor the status of your issue.
Track Your Aviation SMS Reported Issues
Whenever you log into the system, "My Safety", then "Dashboard". The application will show a list of all the issues you have submitted and the status of each. This is also true for anonymous reports submitted by you.
About NWDS - founded in 2003 by six software engineers, NorthWest Data Solutions (NWDS) provides custom computer programming and systems design services. NWDS creates many types of software, including e-commerce, financial, defense, engineering, logistics, aviation and more. In 2007, NWDS developed SMS Pro™ a web based SMS application that supports an organization's overall SMS through safety reporting, safety documentation, safety risk management and safety assurance. SMS Pro™ is currently used by aviation organizations in the U.S., Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East to help manage their SMS programs. NWDS continues to support SMS Pro™ and add new functionality. NWDS offers custom contract programming services in the U.S. and Canada and is managed by Chris Howell, one of the founders. Their headquarters is in Anchorage, Alaska. For information on NWDS visit their website at www.nwds-ak.com and www.asms-pro.com to learn more about SMS Pro™.
