Baldwin Safety & Compliance has introduced several new initiatives to its slate of safety management programs. Like many other face-to-face products that have required changes in the no-travel post-Covid world, this week at NBAA-VBACE the company introduced its e-Training program for safety managers, a self-paced virtual program for those seeking certification in safety management.
Unlike many other learning offerings, Baldwin’s program is intended to mimic the normal course as much as possible. “There’s no computer-animated graphics, no computer voices, it’s a real instructor in front of a camera, helping to explain how to get things done within the safety management system (SMS),” said Jason Starke, Baldwin’s director of standards. “Part of having that real instructor is there is feedback provided on assignments to help steer progress.” Course attendees will also be able to contact the instructor for individual help and a training course outline to help satisfy organizational requirements
The safety manager certification program consists of a dozen individual courses, each of which includes multiple modules encompassing topics essential for the implementation and management of a company’s SMS and, according to Starke, the focus is on how to do the job, not simply on what SMS is. “We’re pragmatic, we give examples for large and small flight departments and we center on what the safety manager will do,” he said.
As part of the offering, Baldwin also provides recurrent training and initial SMS training for frontline employees such as pilots, technicians, dispatchers, and administrators.
The company has also expanded its automated Internal Evaluation Program (IEP), which it debuted last year. Through a user portal, it will provide 10 to 15 curated question audits taken from various standards to organizations each month, allowing users to evaluate their operations more frequently and from different perspectives. “Wouldn’t it be pointless if you are using the same industry standard again and again, even after you’ve just obtained a registration audit against that standard?” asked Starke. Subject focus areas will change from month to month.
Lastly, Baldwin recently added an emergency response ER Alert feature to its portal that will help facilitate company communications and management of a crisis. It features a secure virtual space with access to the identified emergency operations team members only, according to Starke, offering them a central location in which to manage the event.
Functional in either live or drill modes, real-time information can be displayed starting from the moment the emergency response plan is activated. Those designated will see a special icon in their access portal, which will take them directly into the secure space. In addition, each member will receive a checklist based on their specific roles once they check-in, and those lists can be accessed by the emergency manager to check their status. Any necessary supporting documentation can be preloaded into the ER Alert to save time digging for information during any emergencies. All communications are displayed in the secure space, and in drill mode, each is prefaced with drill to avoid mistakes. Communications also can be logged and archived for later review.
“We continue to add features to our programs to expand safety and quality in-flight operations,” said Starke. “Both the IEP and ER Alert enhancements have been well received and we continue to see increases in participation by our customers.”
