Worldwide Customer Service & Service Center Network
Dassault Aviation
If you ask the average person on the street what SMS stands for, they’ll say it’s a text message, because it’s an acronym for “Short Message Service.” In aviation, we usually understand it to mean Safety Management System, which is widely required for aircraft operators and OEMs and their repair stations.
SMS can seem somewhat abstract, until someone leaves a wrench in the aft equipment bay or other place where a “foreign object” can cause damage. That mechanic might later ask themselves, “Did I put that tool away?” Maybe yes. Maybe no, but the uncertainty remains. That’s where SMS comes in. A Safety Management System has several elements, but perhaps the most potent is a concept called “Just Culture.”
That mechanic doesn’t have to worry about how a supervisor will react when he or she reports a potential safety issue. They know there will not be career ramifications. At Dassault, you might even receive a commendation for speaking up.
Dassault didn’t need the authorities to emphasize safety. It is a top management priority within the company. Our industry has always put safety first. Today SMS is proving itself to be powerful tool for constant safety improvement. That’s because it goes to the heart of human behavior and motivations. By removing the fear of negative repercussions, SMS motivates everyone to report minor safety lapses before they snowball into major ones. Employees also take comfort in knowing that their safety alerts are always kept anonymous.
Last year, Dassault made SMS training at every MRO a core objective, even in parts of the world where it’s not required.
Consider how powerful it is when SMS reports are shared within our worldwide network. It alerts a mechanic in Melbourne, Florida to something that a mechanic in Melbourne, Australia, observed. SMS reports are discussed at weekly safety meetings worldwide. It’s a process that’s ingrained in our mindset and daily routine.
Plus, I’m seeing a secondary benefit that customers will appreciate. SMS also contributes to continuous quality improvement. A quality issue might be as small as scratching a piece of cabinetry. But whatever it is is, it’s shared with the customer and addressed.
That inspires confidence that a Dassault MRO will do the right thing, even for small things a customer might not notic.
Watch the safety video here.
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Falcon Customer Service & Service Center Network
Dassault Aviation
