Eastern Airways chief operating officer Chris Holliday says the genesis of the UK regional airline's safety management system came principally through contacts within the oil and gas industries which are pioneers in the field of safety management.
With 11 crew bases and 150 daily flights, Eastern operates a 32-aircraft fleet with a substantial in-house maintenance operation for its Jetstream 41s. Four of its aircraft work on oil support contracts for Shell out of UK oil centre Aberdeen.
Holliday reports that Eastern based much of its SMS philosophy on another Shell air services provider, Bristow Helicopters, which established a system before 2002. "Shell sold us the idea of having an SMS. It was very oil and gas industry-oriented but they did help us find the right level against which they came and audited us."
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Holliday says it is important for any business to make its SMS relevant to its specific operating conditions: "It's your SMS so decide what is appropriate for your business and be prepared to argue with any safety auditor who believes there is an off-the-shelf solution. There isn't. If you are convinced of the quality of your SMS be prepared to stand your ground.
"Work on hazards that are the most important for your organisation," he adds. "It's good to have a broad perspective on safety but don't confine yourself just to flight safety and don't get mired in the 'slips, trips and falls' syndrome either."
Holliday advises MROs to search out the web resources of Transport Canada and the International Helicopter Safety Team which offer more easily digestible information than the ICAO Safety Management Manual document 9859: "ICAO perhaps is not the best point to start your research on the rules."
An important way to secure effective leadership in this process is to get senior managers to demonstrate commitment by chairing meetings, introducing some dynamism within them and then maintaining that level of activity. Drift is dangerous and something that even Eastern has suffered. "We did fall into this trap and solved it by regular safety culture staff surveys," he says.
Communication is also vital, but avoid jargon and over-complication. Holliday says: "Make it relevant to whichever section of the workforce you are talking to and use your own data and make it real. It's all about pitching whatever you have to say at the right level - don't assume they're all the same."
Source: Flight International