Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) www.sassofia.com considers the key elements to successfully manage Safety Performance Indicators. (SPIs)
Introduction
To ensure effective safety management we need to have a comprehensive picture of our entire organisation from an SMS point of view looking at the following elements:
- Organizational structures
- Policies
- Procedures
- Processes
- Staffing Level
- Equipment
- Facilities
Carry out a detailed review with consideration of the internal and external interactions
- This information can then be used to support the building of a risk register type of document. Allowing us to identify the various weaknesses and exposures and to consider our expectations related to our anticipated safety outcomes throughout the system.
Note – Please See SAS Download Area for SMS Evaluation Tool – Effective for assessing the adequacy of your SMS.
Ensure the Following Objectives Are Met:
- Systemic level:
o All Elements are present, suitable, and effective;
o An acceptable degree of integration;
o Able to engage with core management and operational processes;
o Any weaknesses and vulnerabilities in your organization.
- Operational level:
o The primary risks in operations that need to be addressed (the things that may cause ‘your next accident’).
Process for defining and reviewing safety performance indicators
Note – The commitment of the Leadership Team is Paramount.
- Management should:
o Define the aspects of your organization that require measurement and management.
o Commit to a systematic approach to managing those elements.
o Ensure full alignment with both the safety policy and defined safety objectives.
Project Ownership – Critical for SPI Development (SPI Team)
- Initiation
- Development
- Coordination
- Effective Communication
- Ensure effective timeline & milestones
Typical competence to include knowledge and exposure to quality & safety systems / principles together with the ability to analyse data. The SPI team to provide support advice / support to the leadership team and process owners.
Note 1 – The Business Area Owners / Nominated Persons remain responsible for the overall delivery including, performance and compliance.
Note 2 – Management to be regularly informed and to assume an active steering role regarding SPI implementation.
Review Safety Policy and Objectives
- Define indicators for specific operational safety issues
o Bow-tie methodology or similar to identify the safety actions and risk barriers.
o Use hazard identification to consider threats to safety.
o Choose Indicators ensuring relevance and validity.
Determine data needs (Ensure Quality of Data is maintained)
- Based on reliable and valid data, both qualitative and quantitative.
- Should also consider information available through the internal audit/compliance monitoring system.
- Do not go for easy measures – choose important / valid instead:
o Focus on important (to the organisation) measures.
o Develop a broad set of indicators involving key aspects of your system and operations.
o Avoid a narrow (potentially flawed data set).
o For more complete assessment try to measure the same system in several ways to gain a more precise assessment of the actual level of safety performance.
Use Mature Data if possible or aggregated data from Industry Sources as an alternate.
Note – Any delays in compiling data will have a consequential effect on taking necessary safety actions.
Define Indicator Specifications
- Each SPI should be validated for source and quality of data.
- Quantitative indicators are preferred:
o Should enable highlighting of trends in safety performance over time.
o Should enable identification of deviations from expected safety outcomes.
- Qualitative SPIs – reduce subjectivity by involving the expert group.
Note – Indicators for assessing systemic issues may be common to different processes and subsystems, indicators for assessing operational issues will need to be specific.
What Does a Good SPI Look Like?
- Valid and reliable
- Sensitive to changes in what it is measuring, and
- Not susceptible to bias in calculating or interpretation
- Cost-effective to capture data
- Easily and accurately communicated.
Next Steps
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Tags:
aviation, aviation safety, Aviation SMS, Safety Management System, Safety Objectives, safety performance, Safety Performance Indicators, Safety Performance Monitoring, SAS blogs, SPI
