Tag Archives: FAA

Critical Aspects of an Effective Safety Management System

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In the Aviation Industry, organization is crucial to FAA compliance. In the past, when tracking information regarding safety issues such as incident documentation, event response, and follow-up procedures, the most common method to capturing this critical information had been through paper and pen.

However, a new alternative has been surfacing. Recently, more and more airports are moving towards an online system to automate their safety management process. For airports, these systems allow them to proactively address safety issues, document and avoid potential hazards, and improve their incident response procedures.

There are 3 key attributes crucial to a Safety Management System (SMS) Solution.

Data Sharing and Documentation

Airports understand that incident documentation is critical to gaining operational insights which can help in the prevention of accidents and incidents. One of the key benefits of using software to manage SMS is the ability to provide various stakeholders with the ability to document safety information anywhere through the use of mobile devices. Airport stakeholders now have the capability to report safety issues, attach images to reports, and alert airport personnel regarding safety events, straight from the field. Not only can they submit reports more efficiently, but the information can be easily distributed and shared to relevant stakeholders. SMS solutions offer automated alerting capabilities that will automatically alert designated personnel of any safety events that have been reported.  

Using transaction logs to track development of a report or event provides clarity and organization to a system. From start to finish, transaction logs document the entire progress of a form, enabling the user to view any revisions, additions, or amendments that have occurred.

Configurability

Using a configurable reporting system allows for ease of adaptation to changing events. Reports, submissions, and incidents are always developing, so keeping up with the associated documentation can be challenging. Configurable reporting systems provide a simple solution to this by offering user friendly forms that can adapt to the various changes airports face.

One way to permit dynamic access to the system is by using customizable rules and privileges. In having the ability to create specialized privileges, different access levels can be assigned to users that help divide labor and create a more organized safety management environment.

Queryable Data and Trend Analytics

Having queryable data makes trend analysis easy. By using a queryable system, critical details of an event such as description, causes, and severity can be searched by keywords or phrases that detect the similarities in various safety events. Additionally, this data can be visualized by specific fields to help provide a holistic representation of trends. These trends can be downloaded and shared to bring attention to important events.

Conclusion

As the aviation industry is transitioning to increased digitization, airports are starting to see the benefits that intuitive online solutions provide. These solutions allow a more efficient data gathering process, provide the flexibility to adapt with a constantly evolving airport, and revolutionize the safety management process for the better.

 

 

The New Snow and Ice Control Plan (SICP)

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Snow and ice are two of the most serious contaminants for airport runways. Airports have strict processes for how they assess the safety of their runways when these contaminants are present. However, their carefully planned processes will need to change soon.

In the latest news from the FAA, all Part 139 certified airports must revise their Snow and Ice Control Plan (SICP). This change in FAA policy affects airports that conduct snow operations. The deadline for the SICP revisions is here. The FAA requested all submissions by September 1, 2016. The revised SICPs are expected to be put in effect October 1, 2016.

AC 150/5200-30D, released by the FAA on July 29, 2016, explains the proposed changes that airport operators will have to make in their SICP. Luckily for airports, many of the proposed changes are not major. The biggest change is the addition of RCAM.

RCAM, or Runway Condition Assessment Matrix, is, “the method by which an airport operator reports a runway surface assessment when contaminants are present.” RCAM is designed to be a simpler method of reporting runway conditions. For example, the assessment of the slipperiness of the runway are no longer reported in Mu measurements. In RCAM, the observed contaminants on the runway are assigned numeric values, called Runway Condition Codes (RwyCC). These codes are then reported to pilots.

With the winter snowfall coming up soon and the deadline for new SICP implementation having passed, Part 139 certified airports will have to adjust quickly to meet the new guidelines.

One option available to airports for the management of these new requirements is the use of software. With software, the data reported by airport operators will be intuitively managed to meet the new requirements. Additionally, software can include the capability to analyze and provide insight into past trends. Furthermore, airports can keep their carefully planned processes of assessment. Software can intelligently replicate each airport’s specific process. Airports can find software that operates in this manner beneficial, especially in light of these new regulatory requirements.

To view AC 150/5200-30D:

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/150-5200-30D.pdf

 

SMS – The Time is Now

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The aviation industry was buzzing this week with the news of the released guidelines for SMS implementation from the FAA. This Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) provided clarifications, guidelines, and a timeline to what will be coming soon in SMS implementation.

The FAA has proposed that an SMS be “developed, implemented, maintained, and adhered to” at all certificated small, medium, and large hub airports, all airports with a port of entry or international designation, and airports with over 100,000 total annual operations. According to the FAA, this accounts for 268 airports operating in the United States, covering over 98% of all U.S. passenger enplanements.

It is no secret that the FAA has been planning to implement SMS requirements for some time. In fact, the first proposed rulemaking on SMS was released in October 2010. Since then, many adjustments have been made and several pilot programs have been conducted. These efforts and studies, along with industry feedback, have led the FAA to their current proposal. Many airports – including Cat X airports such as Denver International – have already implemented an SMS program to stay ahead of these forthcoming regulations.

But what exactly will an SMS need to accomplish for an airport? In short, an SMS should operate as “a management system for integrating safety activities into normal day-to-day business practices.” The four components of SMS; safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion must be addressed and integrated throughout the airport’s organization by an SMS program. In turn, this will allow airport personnel to identify and mitigate hazards and risks before they cause incidents or accidents, and plan everyday operations in a manner that enhances safety.

For airport executives, the time to act on this news is now. The FAA making significant strides toward implementing this SMS requirement. It is imperative that airport executives begin to look into these requirements and begin planning how their airports will comply with them.

To view the referenced SNPRM, click here.

Safety Management Systems – A History for Part 139 Airports

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Safety is an ever-important part of the modern world due to our reliance on technology, machinery and other infrastructure built into our cities and towns – This is no different for the aviation industry, given the possible dangers of working with large machinery, many people, and upkeep of various systems.

This is where the International Civil Aviation Organization comes in. They proposed the idea of a required Safety Management System that airport operators must put into action. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiated this as a pilot study in May of 2010 for Part 139 certified airports, and it has been worked on since.

The Safety Management System (SMS) is, at its center, a collection of methods and strategies to constantly improve and maintain safety measures in airports and airlines across the United States.

There are four parts that make up a safety management system: Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance and Safety Promotion. Safety Policy is the foundation for the system, outlining the methods and tools necessary to reach safety goals and outlines management responsibility and accountability.

Safety Risk Management is the heart of SMS. It is a set of rules and processes that are used to identify hazards before they become an issue, digest safety risks, and create strategies to keep dangers to a manageable low.

Safety Assurance is the process used to keep meeting safety standards and objectives, as well as constantly improving general safety. This encompasses everything from information gathering and analysis to putting into action preventative and corrective measures for when safety goals are not met.

The final, all-encompassing component of SMS is Safety Promotion. This is what fosters the environment in which safety can be achieved, and is necessary to keep the objectives and goals managed. Promoting a positive safety culture allows employees to understand the SMS in place, communicate effectively, competently manage their responsibilities, continuous training, and share information well.

The idea of a required safety management system first came into being in 2006, proposed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). ICAO Annex 6, Part 1 directed all member states from January of 2009 and onward to have operators implement a safety management system.

Originally, SMS requirements were aimed at Part 121 Air Carriers. But in May of 2010, the FAA began a process to bring Part 139 airports under the same requirements for their airfield environments.

Fourteen airports participated in the pilot study, and all 14 applied for the Airport Improvement Program assistance, receiving a range of funds from $78,000 to $500,000.

Rulemaking by the FAA for Airport SMS is currently in the Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) stage, meaning the rulemaking is still open to comments. The projected date for it to go to OMB is December 15, 2014, and is aimed to go through OMB Clearance by March 15, 2015. The end of the comment period is now aimed for May 20, 2015.

Time will tell what changes will be made for Part 139 Airports in regards to SMS requirements, and prepared airports will be a step ahead of the rest.