Safety Management System in Aviation Industry

I have worked in Aviation department and in that department safety of the workers is foremost important. There are specific safety protocols which are used to control the safety risks. With each passing year, the focus on workplace health and safety has increased in the occupation health sector. Safety management system is a systematic approach by which business activities are being managed, and the organizational structures and procedure help prevent the accidents and injuries as well as minimize the risk of accidents. Having a reliable safety management system can help aviation a safer business for each stakeholder. Aviation involves a large number of stakeholders such as passengers, pilots, technicians, engineers, and others. Therefore, it is essential to have a robust safety policy which shows the responsibility, commitment, accountabilities, coordination between management and other departments. Having safety policies will ensure that safety of the workers is being considered beforehand and there are certain risks which are reviewed by the administration. The management system also ensures that the potential risk and hazards are identified as well as there is a plan to mitigate those hazards. The safety management system in Aviation requires proper planning and communication to determine potentials hazards such as accidents and incidents as well as the ways to avoid those accidents by appropriate training and other protocols. The management of Aviation needs to also ensure about monitoring any new safety concerns which might hamper the normal operation of the company. Having a robust safety management system would also ensure employee’s loyalty, with the business, smoother operations and reputation building of the company leading to more revenue and benefits.

Safety management system must adopt the safety protocols, policies and organizational structure and also focus on the safety of direct and indirect companies and people performing functions in and around aircraft. Increasing the safety of the business will ensure the employees that their safety is considered vital for the company. Employers of aviation and other industry who take a keen interest in the health and safety of their employees will have reduced number of accidents, injuries, and other incidents. By this, the cost of medical expenses, training new people to replace injured, conduct accident investigation and other legal formalities are being reduced. If an employer has made an effort to increase the safety of the workers, then the productivity and financial gain will increase because healthy employees and healthy workplace would lead to more benefits in the business. Also, workplace injuries will negatively influence the business bottom line because of direct and indirect cost related to injuries and illness as a result of the unsafe workplace environment. The example of direct cost is medical expenses, paid leave and decreased workforce and the indirect cost would be training for replacements, repair of the property damaged and others. If the business has not considered the safety of the workers, then it is likely that there will be more accidents and injuries of unidentified risk and injuries. Also, the revenue generated will be mostly spent on the health of sick or injured employees. The businesses are run for benefits and sustainability, and if the safety of the primary stakeholder in the company which are employees is not being taken into account, then the bottom line of the business will severely be impacted because the cycle of medical compensation to injured people and training new replacement will continue leading to financial loss.

The organization I previously used to work has no safety precaution for its workers. I used to work in the construction company, and the boss was not able to adopt the safety management system because of unawareness regarding the importance of safety and its impact on the business. Job safety is a serious concern in the organization as the employers spend most of their daily time at work so, it is essential for the workers to know that employers consider health and safety as the top priority. Also, it is in the best interest of the company to increase the productivity and profitability. It is observed that some of the people are allergic to the new paint on the walls of the rooms and therefore getting sick. The boss argued that company repainted the office last week so it cannot afford painting the whole office against. Because of the sickness, there is increased reimbursement for the medical bills and absentees impacting the productivity of the business so for their safety may be the pain should be changed. The company also needs to have a safety management system for the workers which has a robust safety management department with policies and skilled and experienced professional to handle the safety management system. The company should work towards creating a safe and secure environment for the employee to have high retention and increased optimal performance.

The five hazards which are involved in the aviation are: wake turbulence is a pressure in the atmosphere which is formed at the back of the aircraft as it passes through (Gerz et al.). A hard landing is when the aircraft hit the ground with more speed than average speed. It is because of mechanical error, pilot’s decision or because of weather (Forbes and Lederman). Flameout is another hazard related to aviation, and it is when there is a flame in the combustion chamber of the jet engine. It occurs because of fuel starvation, compressor issue, and other mechanical failures. Loss of control is a hazard which can lead to severe accidents, and it happens when the unintended departure of an aircraft occurs from a controlled flight. Pilot error is a hazard when a pilot decides a flight or the aircraft.

The hazards are mainly because of mechanical errors, untrained personnel, and weather issues. Risk mitigation and planning is importation in the aviation industry to reduce the hazards involved. For the reduction of the risks, the first step is to characterize the root causes of the risks such as whether the danger is because of mechanical error, untrained personals, lack of experience, poor judgment or weather. Evaluate and identify the risk elimination strategies as well as tools to reduce the risks. For instance, better types of equipment, runways, aircraft, or training and consultations to the pilots. Assess which tool and strategy to prioritize for the benefit of the company. The safety resources, policies and plans need to devise for the safety of the employee and financial interests of the company. Communicate and implement the strategies with the other departments and employees. Some of the risks might be uncertain such as weather, and thus the pilots should be trained and experienced to cater the unforeseen weather needs of the flights.

Work Cited

Forbes, Silke J., and Mara Lederman. “Does Vertical Integration Affect Firm Performance? Evidence from the Airline Industry.” The RAND Journal of Economics, vol. 41, no. 4, 2010, pp. 765–90.

Gerz, Thomas, et al. “Commercial Aircraft Wake Vortices.” Progress in Aerospace Sciences, vol. 38, no. 3, 2002, pp. 181–208.