SM4 Safety Articles & Resources
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Data Sharing: The Heartbeat of Safety in the Skies
Flying today is anything but a simple, straightforward path. Pilots have multiple factors to consider for ensuring the safest and most sustainable flight experience.
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The Insidious Nature of the Routine
When routine tasks become familiar and are no longer actively assessed for threats, they often are the first link in an error chain that results in a serious mishap. It is natural for crews to become comfortable with seemingly low-risk tasks, allowing complacency and distractions to permeate their focused attention.
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Code Red: Planning for the Cyberattack Aftermath
This is an era of rapid change and technological advancement, and although it is challenging, responsible organizations seek to manage and mitigate cyber risks. Insecure systems and uncertain people, added to inadequate contingency plans, create a perfect business continuity storm in the aftermath of a cyberattack.
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Let’s Get Personal (About Risk)
Aviation loves to talk about risk management. Insurance companies, manufacturers, and organizations all fully embrace the concept and know that to make it work on the line, we must get people at all levels and from all functional areas to embrace it. Tools such as the Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) are noble attempts, but at the core of it all lies the simple fact that people, as individuals, view risk differently.
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Check Engine Light: The Illusion of Program Effectiveness
An aviation company’s responsibility is to ensure regulatory compliance and conformance to its internal policies, procedures and processes, including voluntary standards. To do that, leaders and team members throughout an organization must understand and monitor the “dashboard lights.”
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Gaining Insight Into the Living DNA of a Safety Management System
Managing safety culture is like baking bread. It is a living organism, and no matter how you measure the ingredients and bake it, each loaf has its own unique shape, color and crumb. However, a multidimensional safety culture survey can be a vital tool for periodic assessment and improvement.
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Rise Up for the Next Generation
There is no doubt in my mind that flying is the way mankind is meant to travel, yet the continued success and growth of the industry requires a refined approach to safety. As someone who flies commercially and with a new interest in a career in aviation, I want the reassurance that the pilot in command (PIC) and crew are adequately prepared if and when an aircraft ends up in an upset.
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Cognitive Overload in Aviation Training: Understanding and Mitigating Risks
If we look through a microscope at the elements of “safety”, we see things that are often hidden. We secretly know that the rules don’t matter as much as the attitude of the company and the person using them. The reality is that the rules are simply a benchmark to form a circle of safety parameters around an organization to establish the minimum level of safety.
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Peer Support Programs: Transforming How Aviation Addresses Mental Health
While the industry has evolved in acknowledging these issues, stigma still impedes many from seeking available resources. Here, the significance of Peer Support Programs (PSPs) has been increasingly recognized. These initiatives offer a confidential haven where concerns can be openly discussed, free from judgment.