Early Afternoon Concurrent Panel Sessions: The Evolution and Future of the Aircraft Maintenance Industry: Presentation: Hindrances to SMS Implementation in Aviation Maintenance Organizations

Location

La Ventana Ballroom

Topic Area

MAINTENANCE

Other Topic Area

Aviation

Abstract

In the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Flight Plan, published for fiscal years 2009-2013, the FAA documents the promotion of Safety Management Systems (SMS) as one of its goals. Research on flight safety and SMS implementation in flight operations abound, but maintenance safety research remains limited. Current maintenance safety research reveals hindrances to the implementation of SMS. These hindrances are especially evident in smaller maintenance facilities, defined in this study as organizations with fewer than 30 employees.

Potential hindrances including lack of policies supporting safety culture, lack of management support, and cost were studied. A comparison of hindrances from an employee’s perspective was made among participants working in small, medium, and large maintenance organizations. The most significant hindrance reported by the participants in this study was the gap between written policies and actual management practices. Differences in the attitudes of employees working for organizations of various sizes and cost as a hindrance will be presented.

Start Date

15-1-2016 2:00 PM

End Date

15-1-2016 3:30 PM

Chair/Note/Host

Chair: Patti Clark, ERAU-WW

Keywords

Aviation, Aircraft Maintenance, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell Aerospace

Share

Import Event to Google Calendar

COinS
 
Jan 15th, 2:00 PM Jan 15th, 3:30 PM

Early Afternoon Concurrent Panel Sessions: The Evolution and Future of the Aircraft Maintenance Industry: Presentation: Hindrances to SMS Implementation in Aviation Maintenance Organizations

La Ventana Ballroom

In the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Flight Plan, published for fiscal years 2009-2013, the FAA documents the promotion of Safety Management Systems (SMS) as one of its goals. Research on flight safety and SMS implementation in flight operations abound, but maintenance safety research remains limited. Current maintenance safety research reveals hindrances to the implementation of SMS. These hindrances are especially evident in smaller maintenance facilities, defined in this study as organizations with fewer than 30 employees.

Potential hindrances including lack of policies supporting safety culture, lack of management support, and cost were studied. A comparison of hindrances from an employee’s perspective was made among participants working in small, medium, and large maintenance organizations. The most significant hindrance reported by the participants in this study was the gap between written policies and actual management practices. Differences in the attitudes of employees working for organizations of various sizes and cost as a hindrance will be presented.