Theory Into Practice: Assessing Safety

 

Aviation organizations function in complex environments where engineering, manufacturing, operations management, and human factors converge. Due to this complexity, safety systems need to be continuously monitored to ensure they are effectively identifying hazards and managing risks.

For this evaluation I will focus on my own company GE Aerospace. GE Aerospace is a leading manufacturer of aircraft engines utilized in both commercial and military aviation (GE Aerospace, n.d.-a). Its engines power a significant portion of the global airline fleet, meaning that the company’s engineering, manufacturing, and maintenance practices have a direct impact on aviation safety around the world (GE Aerospace, n.d.-a).  Due to the extensive reach of its products, GE Aerospace depends on well-structured safety processes to mitigate risks throughout the design, production, and long-term support of its products.

Modern aviation organizations depend on Safety Management Systems (SMS) to handle operational risks. SMS framework emphasizes identifying hazards, assessing risks, reporting safety issues and continuously monitoring safety performance. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states that the goal of SMS is to guide organizations towards proactive safety management instead of reactive (FAA, 2024). This system enables organizations to spot safety issues sooner and tackle them before they escalate into chain reactions worthy of failures. As I have just recently learned through early research, GE Aerospace was the first manufacturer to have its SMS accepted by the FAA, establishing SMS 10 years before the FAA proposed requiring it (GE Aerospace, n.d.-b; GE Aerospace, 2025).

Evaluating a safety program is essential to determine if the system is functioning effectively. By analyzing reports, data, and safety performance indicators, organizations can uncover trends and gaps that may not be visible during everyday operation (Stroeve, Smeltink, & Kirwan, 2022). Studies on aviation safety management indicate that strong safety leadership and active employee involvement are crucial for enhancing safety performance and minimizing safety the related incidents (Adjekum, 2016). In aviation, safety always requires ongoing monitoring, evaluation and improvement.


 


References

Adjekum, D. K. (2016). An evaluation of the relationships between safety management system initiatives, transformational safety leadership, self-efficacy, safety behavior, and safety-related events mediated by safety motivation in collegiate aviation (Order No. 10243297). Available from ProQuest One Academic. (1862014153). https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/evaluation-relationships-between-safety/docview/1862014153/se-2

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). (2024, August 2). Safety Management System (SMS). Safety Management System (SMS) | Federal Aviation Administration. https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/sms

GE Aerospace. (n.d.-a). Aerospace history. https://www.geaerospace.com/company/about-us/history

GE Aerospace. (n.d.-b). Our safety journey. https://www.geaerospace.com/company/safety-journey

GE Aerospace. (2025). Safety Management System Overview. https://www.geaerospace.com/sites/default/files/2025-geaerospace-sms-datasheet.pdf

Stroeve, S., Smeltink, J., & Kirwan, B. (2022). Assessing and Advancing Safety Management in Aviation. Safety, 8(2), 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/safety8020020

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