Introduction to SMS Induction Training Process
Auditors frequently ask whether ALL users are trained in an organization's SMS program. Auditors will say "prove it," and with the SMS Induction Manger, you are covered.
- I understand how our safety management system operates
- I am aware of the role I play in our safety management system
- I understand the aim of our safety management system is to improve safety – not to attribute blame
- I have participated in either a formal or informal induction of our safety management system
SMS Induction Manager is usually the first contact organizational users have with a company's SMS program. This module affords an opportunity to train and document that training for basic SMS concepts.
Purpose of SMS Induction and Training
During the second phase of an ICAO compliant SMS implementation plan, one of the steps requires that your airline or airport delivers training relevant to your reactive risk management processes. What does this mean? In short, you need to provide employees training on how to report issues, how your safety program functions and what their purpose is in regards to the entire SMS implementation plan. Furthermore, department heads must also be trained, which in SMS Pro terms, means that they will know how to manage corrective actions, review and modify the corrective action plans that are created for them, and understand how to monitor/review the risk analysis charts and reports.
So we see that the initial reactive risk management training is a critical requirement for a successful aviation SMS implementation. You may believe you can "pencil whip" this requirement in short time and have your employees sign a piece of paper acknowledging what we outlined in the Introduction to SMS Induction and Training. You may even get away with it for a couple years. But if your company is like every other company in the world, employee turnover remains a significant risk to any airline or airport SMS implementation plan. When the manager leaves who was collecting signatures, and he doesn't tell anyone where the documentation is, what then? Better yet, what happens when the assigned safety manager has all the data on his laptop and then he suddenly leaves the company? Doesn't every happen, you may say. Well, it does happen more often than you want to believe.
With this said, the purpose of the SMS Induction module is to document that your employees have received their initial reactive risk management training. This module provides a structured, repeatable process that is easy to follow and administer, regardless of whether your safety manager leaves the company and takes his laptop with him.
What is SMS Induction Training?
SMS Induction Training is an airline or airport specific task. When airlines and airports start using SMS Pro as their aviation safety management software solution, we provide a template or sample SMS Induction policy to put into their Policies & Procedures modules. This policy may state the requirements for SMS Induction training.
As part of a sample policy, we typically recommend employees:
- Know where the Policies and Procedures are in the Web based safety software program
- Read the safety policy
- Read the CEO commitment to safety
- Read the all employee letter announcing your SMS implementation and how your company plans to implement the SMS program
- Watch the videos on how to report issues
- Read the policy regarding "What Types of Issues to Report"
- Review the Organizational Chart to understand your airline or airport's chain of command regarding safety
- Know where the Applicable Regulations are stored in your safety software program
The above is enough to get you started. You can use the above sample as a template for your SMS Induction Training.
Why have SMS Induction Training Process?
A process can be defined as a step of actions taken to bring about an end result. A process is a repeatable phenomenon. A process is a structured, repeatable approach that can be used over and over without giving much thought because the "end game" has already been determined.
The reason for having an SMS Induction Training process is to ensure that everyone goes through the same steps to become inducted. When auditors come to visit your airline or airport, they will want to review your processes, and your SMS induction training process is no different. You will be able to say that every employee goes through the same process. Whether the employees actually understand everything you try to train them is in question. But at least you can cover your tail when the auditor wants to know what is your process for inducting new employees into your aviation safety management system.
Who Prepares the SMS Induction Training Process?
The director of safety is usually tasked with drafting the SMS Induction Training process, which then becomes approved by the accountable executive. The SMS Induction Training process is a mutable (changeable) document or policy. Don't become concerned if you need to beef it up or reduce the complexity. The important point to remember is that you need an SMS Induction Training process/policy and you must be doing what the policy states. The most common audit finding is that operators don't follow their processes or documented policies and procedures.
How is the SMS Induction Training Process Prepared?
With SMS Pro, the preparation of the SMS Induction Training process is very simple. We provide an SMS Induction Training Policy template for you to modify. SMS Pro customers also get a list of sample steps that employees must complete before requesting induction into your aviation safety management system. The sample list of SMS Induction process steps include those listed in the section, "What is SMS Induction Training?"
On the landing page of SMS Pro (the page users are directed to immediately after logging in), a list of instructions appear for users who have the Not Inducted role. These instructions are reviewed and accepted by the SMS Admin, the point of contact with your company and NorthWest Data Solutions, the Anchorage, Alaska Web design and development company that manages SMS Pro. The SMS Admin can edit these instructions to ensure they match their business culture.
When is the SMS Induction Training Process Performed?
Within two weeks of acquiring SMS Pro as their Web based aviation safety management software platform, airlines and airports start inducting their employees into their aviation SMS program. SMS Induction is a gradual process and training can be either performed using Web based tools, such as SMS Pro's videos and help documentation, or training can be done in a classroom setting. How the SMS Induction Training is administered depends on the availability of resources and the technical competency of employees. In some countries, employees at an airline or airport may be functionally illiterate in the business language of English. In this case, training materials will have to be prepared in their native language.
When new employees are integrated into your company, one of the processes is to ensure they have SMS Induction Training.
SMS Pro documents when employees are inducted into your aviation SMS program. There are two methods for inducting employees into your safety management system: 1) a manager confirms every employee has received the necessary training; or 2) employees are auto confirmed when they request induction. Most airlines and airports confirm the SMS Induction Training process for every employee; however, exceptions exist when there are thousands of employees scattered around the globe.
Sample SMS Induction Training Checklist
In conclusion, reactive risk management training is required for every aviation safety management system. SMS Pro provides the tools necessary to manage and document your SMS Induction Training. Below is a sample checklist we provide when clients start using SMS Pro. Feel free to use this example as part of your SMS induction training policy.
Beginning of Sample SMS Induction Training Checklist
In order to use this application, you must be trained in its use and demonstrate that you understand your role in and the overall objective of our SMS program.
To be inducted, please complete the following training tasks:
- Please watch this video on How to Issue a Report: Part 1 & Part 2.
- On the top, click on Policy >> Policy Manager
- Please read the following policies: CEO Commitment to Safety, Non-punitive Reporting, and About Reporting Issues
- ** Important ** Click on the logo, located in the top left corner, to return to this page when finished
- Read the bullets below, then click on the "SMS Induction Process" link to continue
In addition, you must acknowledge that:
- You understand how our safety management system operates.
- You are aware of the role you play in our safety management system.
- You understand the aim of our safety management system is to improve safety and quality of service – not to attribute blame.
- You have participated in either a formal or informal induction of our safety management system.
To complete this process, follow the link below:
SMS Induction Process
More Information on SMS Induction Process
Wikipedia Describes Benefits of Induction Programs