Safety Management Systems in Aviation - Term Paper Example

Aviation Safety Report Abstract Blue Coral Copters provides pleasing holiday packages to the customers and it has good reputation in offering flying services to them. The copter business always contains certain issues with respect to safety which must be considered and secured before flying. The paper provides a basic overview of five safety issues in Blue Coral Copters. There are five major issues which are identified in Blue Coral Copters such as weather issues, issue of flying near volcano, operational issues, risk management issues and issue of crowded ramp. Weather is a significant issue which must be considered with regard to flying a copter as safe flying necessitates good weather condition. Volcano is considered as the other vital safety issue for copters. As at times customers desire to ride near volcano, it creates an issue of safety, because volcano can cause unexpected explosion at any moment. There are several operational issues in Blue Coral Copters such as controls, tools and displays of the copters. The fourth issue identified in Blue Coral Copters is the risk management issue. The risk in case of copters can occur from several aspects such as wearing seatbelts, vibration and noise among others. Ultimately, the fifth issue of Blue Coral Copters is the crowded ramp. The ramp operation along with rotating flying traffic makes it very challenging for copters to load the passengers. The report will provide evaluation of these issues and make recommendations in order to develop steps. The objective of the paper is to recognize safety aspects in copters which can help to prevent any accidents in future. Introduction Safety Management Systems (SMS) is the one of the key aspects for efficient and secure copter operations. SMS is recognized as an official business approach for managing risks in copter. It comprises general approaches towards managing safety and diverse strategies along with measures which must be maintained in copter operation. SMS has introduced an evolutionary procedure which obliges organizations towards safety practices as one of the main priorities in the businesses (Federal Aviation Administration, 2010). The paper will describe a safety management plan for mitigating different issues in ‘Blue Coral Copters’. The objective of the paper is to assess the safety concerns in ‘Blue Coral Copters’ and to develop certain solutions for them. Importance of SMS in Copter Management SMS is vital for copter business as it facilities organizations to take proactive approaches by identification of threats. SMS also helps to inspire safety culture in the workplace and facilitates to make changes in the approaches and the activities of the employees in order to inhibit any kind of accidents to the helicopters or equipments, hence developing a risk-free workplace. SMS also assists in avoiding wastage of monetary and human assets and lets employees to create secured organizational procedures in order to avoid any kind of faults. Through implementing safety management principles, organizations can recognize risks, assess risks and develop a case to rationalize regulations which can lead to lessening of risks to satisfactory levels. SMS is an established procedure for handling threats as it enables to evaluate every component of an organization together and also ensures proper distribution of resources for safety matters. Through implementing SMS, organizations can gain the capacity of forecasting and addressing safety problems before they result in accidents or near misses, hence decreasing losses and improving efficiency (Airborne Law Enforcement Association, 2009). Safety Issues Identified in ‘Blue Coral Copters’ In ‘Blue Coral Copters’, five significant safety issues are identified and are required to be improved in order to increase the efficiency and reduce the probability of loss. The safety issues are described below: Weather: Weather is the most significant issue for copter operations which must be considered while flying copters. Similar to other commercial aviation organizations, Blue Coral Copters is also negatively impacted by fluctuating weather situations. Bad weather can have a harmful impact on the copter and also can endanger the security of the people. Thus, weather condition must be considered in the SMS of Blue Coral Copters (International Association of Oil & Gas Producers, 2009). Issue of Flying Near Volcano: Blue Coral Copters provides holiday travelling experiences to the customers; and as a part of the business the company offers travelers an opportunity to enjoy a flying experience near volcano. Thus, it can raise significant safety issues for the passengers of the copters by flying near volcano. Volcano can cause unexpected explosions which can lead to sudden accidents. The volcanic ash can expand through several hundred miles and it can impact on the visibility of the pilot to fly properly. The cloud generated from volcanic ash can also result in a common failure to the engine of the copter (Civil Aviation Authority, 2011). Operational Issues: Blue Coral Copters faces numerous operational issues. Apart from environmental issues, there are other operational aspects which must be considered while flying copters such as thermal stresses, unusual vibration and other significant controls and engine malfunctions. Unadorned machinery failures create a significant threat throughout flying in many copters (Allan, 1976). Risk Management Issues: Measuring and managing the risk is a key issue for copters in order to determine the safety of the people. The risks in copters can arrive from several factors and once the risks are identified, appropriate measures can be implemented in order to reduce them. Complete safety cannot be assured in copter operation, as there are always certain risks which must be acknowledged and managed accordingly (Fox, 2005). Issue of Crowded Ramp: Unsecured ramp is the other issue faced by Blue Coral Copters. In certain times, the pilots of the copters can get perplexed over landing on crowded ramps parking spaces. Ineffective landing on ramp can cause accidents. Ramp safety is related with human actions and the sensibility of the workforce. In this context, SMS can provide a practical approach towards avoidance and lessening of copter accidents due to crowded ramp (The Airports Publishing Network, 2012). Evaluation of the Issues Weather Issues Over the years, evaluating and reporting the weather situations have shifted from human surveillance to the utilization of computerized systems. The manual weather observation has now reduced considerably and is replaced by computerized weather observation system in order to deal with the weather issues in aviation. The pilots can use the weather related information gathered through several automated systems in order to develop flight planning. In present days, several helicopter plots acquire the pre-flight weather briefing through ‘Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’. Furthermore, weather information can also be found at ‘Fixed Based Operators’ (FBOs) websites. At present, numerous graphical descriptions are accessible to the pilots though which they can understand atmospheric density patterns and surface weather report. The radar summary charts also provide information regarding the location and the intensity of rainstorms and other forms of weather disturbance. Graphics such as satellite imaginings of weather are accessible to the pilots which can help to provide clear picture of weather through advanced multifunctional displays (National Transportation Safety Board, 2005). Issue of Flying Near Volcano Volcanic ash, which has been identified as the other significant issue of Blue Coral Copters, can result in huge damage to the safety of the copters. Therefore, the decision of the pilot to fly rests on the situation of volcano. Every copter has the probability to be impacted by the volcanic ash and thereby must conduct risk assessment before making flying decision. The contamination of more than 4×10-3 g/m3 can be considered as a hazardous zone and must be avoided by a copter pilot. Two significant issues must be considered while flying near volcanos which are engine failure and depressurization. Thus, the critical point with respect to lowest tour height must be calculated which can allow the copter pilot to maintain higher than approval height during drift down and alteration of height. In flying near volcano, there is a need for oxygen which can allow maintaining a constant flight above ‘Minimum Safe Altitude’ (MSA). The copter pilot must be aware that the restricted vertical availability of airspace beneath the volcanic ash probably leads to reduced airspace capability and subsequent application of skies movement control measures. Extensive damage can occur in a copter if the degree of airborne pollution through volcanic ash is high. It can probably result in engine shutdown and significant airframe malfunction (Civil Aviation Authority, 2011). The movement of volcanic ash relies on the weather situation. The thickness of ash near the volcano can also fluctuate. Thus, the pilots must ensure that they are aware of the most up-to- date information from recognized sources for planning the trip for travelers with suitable safety margins (Civil Aviation Authority, 2011). Operational Issues In copter business, almost three-fourths of the accidents occur as pilots fail to recognize specific indications or being unable to operate copters in critical conditions. Therefore, better operation of copter is a primary and basic requirement for the safety of the people. In copters, there are three levels of safety. First level guarantees that the rudimentary designs of the copters do not fail to satisfy certain safety criteria. The second level of protection is the backup system when the first level fails to defend such as ‘Health and Usage Monitoring System’ or ‘Auto-rotational’ system. The third level of protection is the aspect of defending people from taking serious wounds such as ‘crash survival’ components (Fox, 2005). Secure copter operation generally requires pilots to be operating in lower levels. Copters must be sanctioned and authorized by ‘Civil Aviation Authority’ (CAA) in order to make safe pilot operation. In case of passenger travel, ‘Performance Class 1 and Class 2’ copters must be used. The ‘Performance Class 3’ copters can also be used for passenger travel with due consideration to risk assessment. The copters must go through regular trend analysis and their performance must be reviewed frequently (International Association of Oil & Gas Producers, 2009). There are several operational aspects which must be properly recognized by pilots such as low fuel level indication, monitoring meters, vibration and engine displays, environmental control systems (such as air conditioning devices), usage of survival gears by considering weather and temperature and integrated GPS system among other operational aspects. Furthermore, the pilots also need to be proficient in other aspects of copter operations such as using external mirrors, electrical and external release, short line operations (such as inhibition of cable intervention), expert steering equipment for precise identification of location, load display for accurate observation of weight of external capacity and effective two way radio communication system (International Association of Oil & Gas Producers, 2009). Better pilot operation is a vital aspect for copter control. Thus, copters must be operated by capable pilots who can effectively recognize and consider the above mentioned operational aspects. An official training is essential in order to grasp those issues and maintain safety while flying copters (International Association of Oil & Gas Producers, 2009). Risk Management Issues Managing risk is a vital part of copter management. As operating and flying copters is related with several risks, there is need for proper risk evaluation in every phase of operation. Every organization must undertake risk evaluation by addressing higher to lower risks. The elements of risks should be characterized. Incapability to quantify risks can result in lack of safety and security in the business. In reality, certain level of risks needs to be accepted by an organization. Defining the satisfactory level of risk is usually the duty of the management. Any management decision comprising those associated with security must contemplate other essential risk elements. In order to evaluate expected accident expenses, two aspects must be considered. First aspect is the risk connected with the probability of the occurrence of accident, and the second factor is the probable significance of accident in terms of money. If the significances of accidents are severe then low possibility of occurrence of those accidents is acceptable by organizations. In case of high risk, where the consequences of the accident are high, it is sensible to invest capital in order to minimize the probability of risks by enactment of risk control measures. Conversely, accidents whose outcomes are considered to be less severe can be measured as acceptable risks at higher probability of occurrence (Federal Aviation Administration, 2000). The copter operations need to be monitored in order to recognize trends and reduce the future risks. The management must comprehend any historical mishap in order to evaluate and to manage risks. The probabilities of the accidents should be constructed in risk analysis. Particularly, undetected risks, blend of human related faults, failures and breakdowns of engines and other machineries should be carefully understood in order to construct future possible risk situations (Perrin, Kirwan, Stroup, Allocco, Statler, & Blom, 2005). Issue of Crowded Ramp Misfortunes on ramp cannot be completely eliminated because ramp operation includes human involvement. The major risk can arrive in ramp operation from rotating flying blades. The accidents in ramp due to copters’ flying blades differ from other forms of accidents in copters such as engine malfunction. The reason is that rotating blades even at low speed have adequate force to impose serious wound to human beings. Therefore, in ramp, the rotating blades can be considered as extremely dangerous, hence must be treated with high level of care. Thus, in order to ensure better safety, the pilots and other personnel who are directly involved in the ramp operations must be trained appropriately about their particular responsibilities through appropriate training which has increased focus on risks of rotating blades. Ramp guides and passenger management employees must be made conscious about the appropriate techniques and approaches of guiding passengers to come down from parked copters (Aviation Online magazine, 2012). Recommendations for Reducing the Negative Impacts of the Issues In order to implement better safety in Blue Coral Copters there is need for implementing SMS throughout the organization. Blue Coral Copters must have basic health and safety administration principles which can evidently explain the rules, standards, actions and work practices that must be obeyed by all employees in the company. Safety Management Principles The safety management principles deliver security values which direct an organization. The SMS holds the principle that recognition and management of risk can reduce the probability of accidents. Therefore, safety management is the key for the future of the organization. It includes every field of safety, security and environmental management in copters. Safety policy establishes basic requirements for Blue Coral Copters regarding the functions of the workers. In every level, the management is accountable for safety performances of the copters and is committed towards providing safe, strong and secure working circumstances. In order to ensure safety, Blue Coral Copters must undertake quite a few measures. There is need for developing accident free workplace in Blue Coral Copters in order to ensure no future harm for people and less damage to the equipments. Blue Coral Copters needs to develop a culture of open reporting with respect to all threats and to disclose any kind of threats or security incidences. Regular audits must be conducted in Blue Coral Copters in order to observe safety practices throughout the organization. Maintaining safety culture in the organization requires all the employees to be acquainted with the safety policies and measures. A positive safety culture is developed by high level of faith and respect between the employees and the management. Employees need to believe that they will be supported for any decision made with respect to the safety of the copters. A positive safety working culture is vital for efficient implementation of SMS. The key elements for promoting safety in any organization are safety education & training and enhanced communication. For employees to meet the terms of the safety requirements there is need for appropriate knowledge, skill and training. The core for forming SMS is to make safety, an integral part of organization’s management plan (Airborne Law Enforcement Association, 2009). SMS Implementation in Blue Coral Copters In order to reduce the risks in Blue Coral Copters, it is recommended that risk evaluation must be conducted and tested on those recognized issues such as weather issues, operational issues and ramp issues among others. The risk evaluation can facilitate to successfully recognize, quantify and control hazards and risks which can occur from climate change or system breakdown. Emergency Reaction Plan: The primary focus of SMS is to avert the number of possible occurrences and accidents by risk identification, risk assessment and risk control. A better emergency reaction plan must be developed by Blue Corral Copters which can help to reduce the harms, damages and other potential losses that may arise from emergency situation. The emergency plan should be brief and well organized and must include adequate facts in order to certify quick access to critical facts. Thus, high levels of communication, equipment, personnel and service redundancy are required that can ensure prompt actions in the time of emergency. Unfavorable Weather Condition: In order to reduce the negative impact of weather on the copters, Blue Coral Copters must comply with the applicable federal and regional rules and legislations. Before flying in certain places, the weather forecast must be obtained by the pilots from reliable sources. High level of consideration must be given to the accessible forecasting resources from which up-to-date information about weather can be obtained. Fluctuating and minimal favorable weather condition must be considered when planning tours through copters. In case of unavailability of major information about weather, it is recommended that visibility of almost 1800 meters must be accepted by the pilots of the Blue Coral Copters as the minimum weather standards for flying. The judgment of a pilot to decide the appropriateness of flying should be the final decision (Helicopter Association of Canada, 2011). Operation Safety: In order to ensure safe copter operation, consistent meeting must be conducted for reducing the operational risks that occurred or might occur in Blue Coral Copters. It is recommended that such meetings should be conducted in the evening time, permitting more involvement for next day’s practices. A map of operating area comprising geography, infrastructure, transportations (roadways, railways or airports), helipads and significant threats of copters such as electricity lines or high altitude building must be maintained and should be available in the copter. In tracking system, the similar map must be used in order to display. In case of long route travel being planned, it is recommended to assess the external and the internal copter systems such as cargo hatches, breaks and other equipment (Helicopter Association of Canada, 2011). A safe and secure operation of copters necessitates making consideration towards performance throughout all phases of flight. In order to accomplish required level of safety, broad clearance and vigilant preparation of tourism location is essential. At the minimum level, contact with the base camp must be maintained so that they can provide guidance and other kinds of assistance in case of emergency. A secure radio frequency must be allocated to the copters as well as to the ground squad employees for safer copter operation (International Association of Oil & Gas Producers, 2009). Volcano Safety: As volcano is a major part of business operations for Blue Coral Copters, proper guidance must be maintained while flying near volcano. It is recommended that flights near cloud, particularly cumuliform cloud must be evaded. The pilots must be aware about the probability of flying smog, which can reach the engine. The conditions of fog, drizzle, vapor produced by volcano are considered under high humidity zone therefore must be avoided while flying copters. Increased dust may indicate high concentration of ash which can cause significant damage to the airframe, propeller, blade and pipe and the degree of damage depends on the thickness of dust. Due to the above reasons, the pilots of Blue Coral Copters must avoid flying in the presence of excessive ash (Civil Aviation Authority, 2011). Training and Education: owing to the fact that human related aspects are major causes of accidents in copters, education and training is considered as one of the most effective methods for implementing SMS. Training to the employees can act as a risk mitigation tool which can reduce accidents as well as fatal incidents from occurring in the first place. Training must be provided on the aspects of rotation, copter effectiveness, emergency management, risk management, effective landing and power management (Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia, 2005). Conclusion The report provides in-depth analysis and recommendations for five major issues identified in Blue Coral Copters. In order to ensure safety, there is need for implementing SMS in Blue Coral Copters. Effective SMS can significantly reduce the possibility of technical as well as human related errors and thus can improve the operational effectiveness. Blue Coral Copters must continuously encourage, educate and communicate safety to the employees as a core value with best practices in order to fortify sound and safety working culture. Each employee has his/her own responsibility for identification and management of risks in copter operation. Thus, the employees should ascertain that best possible safety is ensured. References Airborne Law Enforcement Association. (2009). 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