Safety Systems (SMS) - SM4 Safety Articles & Resources

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Emergency crew assisting plane on runway

Was There a Decrease in Runway Excursions in 2020?

We now know that a global pandemic affects different industries in different ways. Retail liquor stores, package delivery companies and online meeting software all saw COVID-related bumps in sales. Restaurants, bars and most of aviation have experienced a COVID slump.

Posted on January 29, 2021
Man wearing face mask checking his phone before boarding plane

Your Pandemic Operating Plan: Process vs. People

By now, most organizations seem to be well on their way to developing their pandemic operating plan, how they will continue to do business in a pandemic environment. In business aviation, the plan must detail how you will move people from location to location, stay compliant, and meet your responsibility and defensibility goals.

Posted on November 25, 2020
Standard operating procedure spray painted on road

The Bedrock of Aviation—Standard Operating Procedures… Consider the Variables!

Aviation is all about standard operating procedures and their more-beloved acronym “SOP.” With the current COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on staffing levels, operators have had to make some hard decisions, whose impact may not be readily apparent. This article illuminates the risk in assuming SOPs are, in fact, standards.

Posted on October 30, 2020
Technician working on airplane propeller

Making your Risk Assessment Tool a STAR

Mention the acronym GUMPS to just about any fixed wing pilot and watch their eyes move upward and to the right. Their neurolinguistics are probably showing you they are visually remembering: gas, undercarriage, mixture, props and safety. It is a tried-and-true mental checklist and litany that has served, and saved, many a pilot

Posted on October 1, 2020
Four different face masks laying on table

Empirical Safety Data Finally Emerges Regarding Masks and Face Coverings. It May Not Be What You Expected.

More than six months have now passed since the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) became an international household word. Paradoxically, only until recently has any demonstrable evidence surfaced to evaluate the recommendations coming from the health community.

Posted on August 28, 2020
Hockey player on ice shooting puck

The “New Normal” in Aviation Safety

Much is being written these days about the shifting of “normalcy,”’ given the global COVID-19 pandemic. What we have come to understand as “normal” in business aviation today has changed dramatically in just a few short months.

Posted on August 3, 2020
Small plant growing

Reimagining Mastery Through Anaheim Peppers

Downtime used to be hard to come by. Remember just a couple of months ago when the pace of operations prevented us from doing all we needed to just to…

Posted on June 1, 2020
Writing on iPad with Apple Pencil

A Safety Manager’s Mantra: Share Selflessly and Steal Shamelessly

I have been fortunate to have advanced my safety management career while working for one of the nation’s commercial airlines during their pre-911 era. While carriers competed for market share…

Posted on June 1, 2020
Technicians studying blueprints in hangar

The Journey to the New Normal: is Your Organization Prepared to Resume Operations?

In hindsight, it is fair to say that the world was ill‐prepared to cope with the COVID‐19 pandemic. Although not commeasurable to the Black Death of the 14th century or…

Posted on April 29, 2020