Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) considers the key elements for effective engagement with the various potential risks posed to the aviation system.
Risk management remains a critical concern in all facets of aviation, including Operations, CAMO (Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization), and AMO (Aircraft Maintenance Organisation). Identifying potential risks involves a systematic approach, especially given the high stakes associated with aviation safety.
Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) Considers the importance of managing the risks in a systematic and controlled way using a Risk Register as the Fundamental Tool. Hazard identification is the foundation of the risk management process in an SMS and may be conducted reactively, proactively and even predictably. A Hazard is something with the potential to cause harm, and a risk is the potential outcome of a hazard.
- What is the difference between a Safety System Hazard Register and a Risk Register?
A hazard register is a source of information from which we can consider the risks, whereas a risk register contains information related to the nature of the risk (clearly a risk register serves a higher purpose).
- The Visibility of Hazards
Visible hazards – These are essentially obvious they can be observed, smelt, heard, tasted or felt. They’re the most
Hidden hazards (Sometimes known as latent hazards) are not so easily understood and can relate to either physical hazards such as electricity or non-physical related to poor training, stress etc.
- An Effective Risk Register Process can support the following SMS Analysis
o ‘Reactive’ risk management (incident investigation)
o ‘Proactive’ risk management (Used to identify potential risks)
o ‘Predictive’ risk management (supported by Data to identify area of exposure)
As part of the development of an EASA-compliant SMS related to the Safety Management System will benefit from the development and continuous monitoring of a Risk Register.
A risk register is a crucial part of your approach to managing these risks. It’s a tool to help you identify, assess, and record your risks and the actions you’re taking to eliminate or minimize them.
- For each of the following items perform a risk assessment and ask the questions which help you determine the level of exposure that currently exists in your organisation by asking for each item the following 5 questions:
o Is this an issue in our organisation?
o If it is not considered an issue, how can I demonstrate – where is the evidence?
o How can I measure the effectiveness of the current process?
o How effective is documentation/training?
o If there are changes in this element how effective would the system accommodate the changes?
Techniques to Identify Potential Hazards
- Historical Data Review: Analyze previous incidents, accidents, and near-misses to identify recurring issues.
- Process Mapping: Create process maps of various operations to identify points of potential failure.
- Workforce Surveys: Conduct surveys and interviews with personnel to gather insights on perceived risks.
- Environmental Factors: Consider external influences like weather, geopolitical issues, or regulatory changes.
- Human Factors: Account for human errors, such as fatigue, training gaps, or communication breakdowns.
Additional Resources – Please see the following link (actual link to SAS download area – EASA Aviation Safety Management System Risk Register Developmen
Next Steps
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Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) and Sofema Online (SOL) provide Safety and Risk Management Training as Classroom, webinar or online. Please see the websites or email team@sassofia.com
Tags:
Aicraft Maintenance, AMO (Aircraft Maintenance Organisation), aviation safety, Aviation System, CAMO, CAMO (Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization), EASA - Aviation Operations, EASA-Compliant Auditing, Fundamental Tool, Potential Risks, Risk Register, Safety System Hazard Register, SMS Analysis
