Press Release

Issued by .

June 16, 2013

Skytation has opened the first SMS repair station at the heart of the Paris Air Show (Hall 2b - E52) to assist organizations struggling with Safety Management System (SMS) regulatory requirements. With the new Safety Management Annex to the Chicago Convention (i.e., ICAO Annex 19) scheduled to be adopted in November 2013 and the various national aviation authorities setting clear objectives and fast-approaching deadlines, the pressure keeps on mounting on the entire industry. Early adopters and world-class organizations in particular already benefit from the improved management system for a number of years, but the overall picture is rarely rosy for the rest of the industry. 

Among the unwittingly self-inflicted hurdles, Skytation frequently notes the following issues in organizations: 

• insufficient understanding and involvement in SMS from senior/top management; and/or

• improper SMS training (i.e., too rudimentary, too short, unsuitable, confusing); and/or

• disconnect (sometimes total) between company manuals and daily operations; and/or

• lack of sound change management processes leading to strong resistance within the organization and gradual choking of the implementation efforts. 

In the worst cases an organization may find itself with what Skytation calls a fully functioning 'Safety Labyrinth System'. In other words the SMS turned into a techno-bureaucratic nightmare that drains the vital resources of an organization instead of preserving them. The SMS Repair Station by Skytation is meant to prevent or get rid of any Safety Labyrinth System. Organizations interested in receiving a first independent, fresh and expert look on their SMS or SMS implementation efforts are invited to Skytation's 'pop-up' SMS Repair Station in Hall 2B-E52. Bringing company manuals is not required but advisable.

The typical toolbox of Skytation's SMS specialists contains a wide range of instruments and tools. A few examples: SMS gap analyses and audits tailored to the appropriate regulatory environment or industry standard, SMS Manual templates, hazard identification workshops, safety culture surveys, SMS software, SMS training for all levels of safety accountability within an organization, change management processes, safety performance indicator selection workshops, etc. Medium or heavy repairs may obviously require additional work at the organization's location, during or after the Paris Air Show. The SMS Repair Station is open during all the professional days of the air show.