The Value Of SMS Training Through Aircrew Academy

The value of Safety Management Systems (SMS) training through Advanced Aircrew Academy is in a learning module customized to the unique circumstances of your business. Federal Aviation Regulations represent minimum standards of safety, but good business practices incorporate an international standard and reap the financial reward. When each employee recognizes that they too are responsible for everyone else’s safety, a company will work as one to identify hazards and reduce risks, thereby saving time, money and most importantly, lives.

Safety Management Systems

SMS is a proactive, systematic, company-wide approach to managing risk and maximizing quality control by integrating safety as a core value for every employee in every aspect of operations. In an SMS culture, a receptionist doesn't assume that "someone" is already aware of a puddle, whether it's in the hallway or on the hangar floor. Instead, they immediately report the discovery and take predetermined steps to mitigate any potential harm as they were trained to do. When everyone is operating at this high level of awareness and accountability, the number of accidents declines and the well-being of staff improves.

The components of SMS are:

1. Safety policy—the processes and organizational structure required to continually improve safety
2. Safety risk management—the process of identifying hazards and determining what it will take to control the risk
3. Safety assurance—the ongoing reassessment of strategies in place and adjustments where necessary
4. Safety promotion—the creation and maintenance of a safety culture throughout the organization

The concept of SMS was originally developed to prevent accidents at nuclear facilities, and its effectiveness quickly made it standard across several industries. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 19 for large turbojet aircraft sets the standard around the world. While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently mandates the use of SMS only for Part 121 operators, both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board encourage its use throughout the industry.

Why Should You Implement SMS?

In addition to fostering your company's reputation for excellence, loss prevention, and protecting the lives of your customers and corporate family, SMS is also about competitive advantage. Many firms take comfort in knowing that an SMS-practicing business is actively looking for hazards and associated risks and working to avoid potential incidents. Here are a couple of compelling benefits of SMS training:

1. Regulations are by nature minimum requirements designed to set a bar under which no subject operator may fall. If your company is meeting an international standard, it is operating above that minimum bar of acceptability and, therefore, represents a lower risk. This can help your company stand out from your competitors.
2. Insurance companies may offer lower rates to those that work solely with compliant partners and often pay a good portion of their audits to further encourage the practice. The bottom line is often reason enough to do business with a company that values SMS training.

It makes good business sense as well as good business practice to incorporate SMS into your safety program. You may even find that your insurance rates drop and financing becomes more readily available. If your company intends to operate outside the boundaries of the United States at any point in the future, adoption of SMS is essential.

Why Is Advanced Aircrew Academy the Right Place for SMS Training?

Effective training is crucial to an SMS, but your safety manager can't just download an SMS plan from the web and try to implement it. Each SMS is different because each company operates under different circumstances and conditions. Your company may employ 50 people in Tampa, but the risks won't be the same as they are for an identical company in Minneapolis simply because of weather conditions and their associated hazards. Maybe you have 30 pilots or mechanics ready to stand in for sick colleagues, or maybe you have only two, making fatigue a particular concern. Your SMS will work only for you, so you'll need SMS training designed specifically for your operation.

The experts at Advanced Aircrew Academy will study your manuals and tailor your training to your particular needs. Processes are scaled to what you do, where you do it, and how you go about it. We work with your people to determine the hazards specific to your circumstances and develop SMS training that will be most effective for your people, from administration to the cockpit, from the janitor's closet to the hangar.

When your company is populated with employees who have been trained in SMS, you can rest assured that you've truly performed your due diligence to protect your customers and colleagues, and you'll be prepared to compete at the highest level, both at home and abroad.