SMS From Another Perspective

[Widow]

Found an interesting article here: Effective risk management depends on strong rules and not cutting corners

A positive safety culture must precede implementation of an SMS. This is because policies, rules and processes are not always followed, particularly in a broken safety culture in which standards are habitually relaxed to meet other goals having overriding priority, or in which risks are overshadowed by unwarranted optimism. Ultimately, the reason why people behave in such ways comes down to peer influence, but to an even greater extent the behavior of superiors, including the CEO—especially those who repeatedly underestimate risks. Organizational leaders must show that safety is their priority.

Recognizing the need to optimize production and protection, risk assessments performed internally face a potential conflict of interest. There needs to be a thorough formal risk assessment made of SMS principles.

Government ability to oversee and manage safety through intensive direct intervention when necessary must be constant and effective.

It is left to the operator to define levels of management that can make risk-acceptance decisions. According to the guidance available, there is no requirement to define related requirements for competence. Further, the terms “accountability” and “responsibility” are—confusingly—used interchangeably.

Finally, where the safety culture is not well developed, hazard identification may have to rely—as a last resort— on whistleblowers and selfdisclosure. Even in democratic societies, related whistleblower protection may be weak and in need of revision.

[Check Pilot]

I can now comment without fear of repercussion. I'm retired from TC after 29 years and I saw a lot of changes go on, some were good and some were the sh+ts. Mostly it was good, but the latest one to the migration to SMS made me quit the system. I would have stayed on, but I could see that the implementation just wasn't going to work especially for the CAR 703 and 704 operations and I was not prepared to have my signature on behalf of the Minister attached to me anymore.

There is a severe shortage of qualified Inspectors to deal with implementation of SMS, not to mention a severe shortage of amendments to the Aeronautics Act to deal with the any "new" regulations that the CARAC folks have to deal with. Aside from the problem with a critical lack of experienced Inspectors, there is the issue of just who will be conducting SMS evaluations.

It appears to me that clerks will soon be evaluating aviation Companies. This was previously done in the area of Pilot Licensing. It made things easy for pilots with "cooked" logs to get licences because the old cranky Inspectors that used to review the logs were not seeing those logs anymore. Lots of folks got licences because the clerks just accepted the logs as "gospel truth". Eventually that got stopped, but how many guys got licences because of forged stuff in a phony log?

We're about to enter a new era of SMS evaluation that will involve the addition of "clerks" to the evaluation on a Company's SMS. It's a fairly simple checklist of questions that the key Company personnel can answer for the clerk.

It's simple - no experienced Inspector required anymore. No field experience required anymore. No more BS from an Operator. Of course the clerk can see that the individual is honest.

One way or another TC will get rid of Civil Aviation Inspectors and the experience of years in the business of just what the hell is going on and manage to get the whole system of aviation safety "clerckified". It'll save a whole lot of money.

Except for those that lose family to aircraft accidents that will inevitably follow.

That's why I left. Because, as hard as I tried, I couldn't do anything to change it.

[Cat Driver]

That's why I left. Because, as hard as I tried, I couldn't do anything to change it.

Thanks for at least trying.

I often think about the days when we all worked together and we understood the difference between right and wrong.

Gone are the days when I could walk into a TC office and look forward to seeing friends there.

I very much doubt if I will ever enter one of their offices again.

If you are ever out this way give me a call and we can go flying or sailing or something.

..

[The Old Fogducker]

Folks:

One of my favourite TV series of all time was a comedy from Great Britain, produced by the BBC called "Yes, Minister" and after 3 seasons it was followed by "Yes, Prime Minister" as MP James Hacker moved up the political ladder to run the country.

The Minister was trying his best to do the right thing most of the time, but was often hampered by lack of first-hand subject matter knowledge, and a staff which continually conspired to keep him as much in the dark as possible, except to promote their own agendas.

One of the cardinal sins of staffers was to lose track of where the Minister was, lest he start poking his nose into matters, and learn things he shouldn't, or heaven forbid ... speak directly to operational employees in the department about what was going on.

There was one episode where a controversial capital construction project was under on-going hotly contested debate. The politically acceptable solution to divert public attention and opposition party criticism was to commission yet another feasibility study.

The Minister got away from his "political handlers" and was on unescorted "walkabout" at the Ministry HQ. He stumbled across the office of an Economist who had been in charge of the project for decades, without ever seeing anything actually done with his recommendations, studies, blueprints, revisions, etc.

I paraphrase ... The Minister asks ... "Why haven't I heard of you before? The Economist says, "Alas Minister, I am a man with no future here, I shall rise no higher, I am whats called a technical expert."

As one of my old bosses was fond of saying, "and so endeth the story."

I've located the episode on Youtube. The funniest bit with the Economist starts at 5:10 into the first segment.

Here is "The Challenge" part 1 ..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsJBKMLpJHE

Here is part 2 ..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY0EPdFc9oc

That's the Transport of tomorrow as envisioned by senior management. There is no place for technical experts. They just cause trouble by being argumentative. After all, I'm told one of their chief policy makers described the staff of Civil Aviation Inspectors as "Overpaid backhoe operators."

Lets take a moment to look in on a staff meeting with the Minister as transportation policy is discussed. Be prepared for a good belly laugh. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on2I1U-F3BY

Here is the episode where Hacker becomes Minister of Transport.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNHIrllhPVs

The Old Fogducker

[Widow]

An hilarious show, and great outtakes you've found for us Fogducker!

Funny, with such a ring of sadness in the current climate. As I wrote recently in the Bill C-7 thread,

I heard through the grapevine that the Bill will not be re-introduced, but that SMS will be adopted entirely into regulation without any enabling by the Aeronautics Act.

Is anybody else disturbed, if this is in fact, fact?

As Check Pilot seems to have indicated, this will make it much for difficult for the inspectors to do their jobs - as if their jobs weren't hard enough already.

BTW Check Pilot - congratulations on your retirement. And thank you for trying to do your job honourably and effectively all those years.

Kirsten S.

[trey kule]

Please allow me to hijack this thread for a post.

Check Pilot.

There is little I consider more honorable in a man, than one who will stand by his principles.
If only there wer a few dozen more like you in TC.

I wish you peace and enjoyment in your retirement years.

I also hope that you are still fit enough to enjoy aviation .

TK

[Check Pilot]

Thanks for the kind words from Cat, Kirsten and TK.

I don't intend to leave aviation at all. I'm going to stay involved, albeit, on a more "part time" basis and in the industry probably here in CYXD. I'm still healthy at age 61 and don't want to miss out on the challenges industry and pilots face. I'll be on the other side of the fence now but I think I can still add some useful input to the system. I've had numerous job offers after just over 2 weeks, so now I just have to choose if I want to do QA for someone and maybe a little part time Citation and maybe a bit of Beech 1900 stuff on the side.

Again, thanks for all your kind words. I look forward to getting back into the business from the "dark side".

[The Old Fogducker]

Here's a heads up for industry pilots ... the whole thing about Check Pilot retiring is actually part of a very sophisticated sting operation on behalf of Transport.

I'm pretty sure senior TC management have decided to send Check Pilot into plainclothes undercover investigation service, so pilots in the XD area, beware! Be very, very careful of what you say within earshot of anyone unknown to you and be particularly vigilant with respect to leaving your paperwork laying around. You never know where that sought after material might end up!

Further, heed my words and trust no one! Live life as if you are in East Germany in the early '60's and you have a contraband radio in the basement tuned to Radio Free Europe.

If you're smart, you'll post a trusted lookout at the door when you are at a strange FBO, and never leave the aircraft unattended, lest Check Pilot try and sneak a peek inside or maybe take an incriminating photo with his spycam to be used against you in an aviation show trial to rival that of Francis Gary Powers in Moscow. Check Pilot will be the one testifying from behind a curtain, or perhaps visible, but wearing a hood with eye holes like Igor Gouzenko.

Be afraid ... be very afraid!

The Old Fogducker

[Widow]

Fogducker! How dare you give warning!!!!

[Check Pilot]

Fog,

You just had to give away 20 years of planning and plotting. I'll see you when we get together sometime and give you a piece of my mind. You must be trying to deflect suspicion away from yourself because you are probably in deeper cover in this sinister sting plot.

Remember, I know where you live.

[The Old Fogducker]

Check Pilot:

I'm in the middle of one of the best belly-laugh sessions I've had in years! And ... since giving up smoking, I now have a belly to jiggle!

The only people that don't know what to make of me are our 4 or 5 most militant union members who don't appreciate my grip on reality... like when they bitterly complain and engage in histrionics about being fed on the job by the employer if they are on duty over meal times, or try to convince the rest of the guys that we are deserving of a massive raise during the depths of a recession when we are desperately under-worked, already paid more than many of our compatriots, and have a high degree of job security on top of that.

They are the ones who gather in shadows, speaking in hushed tones until I walk into the room and then they start uncomfortably looking at the floor or ceiling, shuffling their feet, or whistling some nameless tune.

I love it actually, and may run for the position of union rep when it comes up next. Either that, or entering the competition for Director of Flight Operations when that comes out.

Fogducker

[Check Pilot]

Fog,

From what I know of you,
1. You'll kill the union if you take over that one and

2. As DFO, you'll kill the union.

Us capitalist dogs are such swine sometimes aren't we !!!

[The Old Fogducker]

Oink$ Oink$

That's the sound of a capitalist pig.

I guess this thread has been hijacked. For that I apologize to the moderators .. but what fun!