ISTOCK/NICOELNINO
SMS
It’s Easier than You Think
There’s an affordable SMS solution out there, no matter your size. By Paul Koscak
HERE ARE THREE ACTUAL SITUATIONS CONFRONTED BY THREE
operators: ■ Tunderstorms are looming within 3 miles of the airport, and an aircraft needs refueling
■ An air ambulance crew is called out for a flight, and the sun is already setting
■ A crew isn’t sure whether their survival vests should be worn under or over their personal protective gear. No accidents or incidents resulted because the operators understood
the risks involved—an explosion, a crash, a drowning—and worked to reduce them. And whether the operators knew it or not, the process they used to minimize the dangers in each situation was a form of safety management. Identifying risks particular to your operation and taking steps to mitigate those risks are critical steps in a safety management system (SMS). An SMS helps you to accomplish those tasks in a structured, con-
sistent way and adds a continuous improvement loop where you evaluate the results and determine next steps. Tat’s why any operator, from a single owner to a large company, can—and should—implement an SMS. Without one, your safety program won’t be as comprehensive, consistent, and effective as it could be.
22 ROTOR DECEMBER 2022
Three Questions Will Get You Started It’s easier to get started using an SMS than you might think. Te first— and most important—step is to answer three simple questions, says Chris Hill, HAI’s senior director of safety and manager of the association’s SMS program:
1. What keeps you up at night?
Here’s where you determine the safety concerns that worry you the most. One helpful way to begin this exercise is to ask yourself, “If I had an accident tomorrow, what could it possibly be?” Focus on the hazards most likely to occur and those with the most severe consequences.
2. What are you doing about it?
For each hazard you identified in Step 1, assess the level of risk it poses to your organization. Ten rank those risks from highest to lowest priority. Tis way you can budget your time and money to focus on mitigating the risks that pose the biggest threat. Te next step is to uncover the factors that lead to the hazard. Use
a team approach here, if possible, to look at both direct and latent factors, including your policies, procedures, and safety culture. For example, the factor that directly led to the hazard might be a
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