Safety Update Continued from page 77 our fuel quality control (QC) system using paper records—until now! In early February 2018, at the Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference in Long Beach, CA, NATA unveiled the industry’s first comprehensive cloud-based digital QC system, the Safety 1st Fuel QC Management System (FQMS). The FQMS leverages the power of modern cloud and digital technologies to provide solutions to many of the issues that exist within our current paper-based system. While paper-based QC manage- ment systems have a strong record of success in our industry, they are not without issues. Visibility into QC issues is of particular concern with a paper-based system. Facility supervisors and managers, as well as customers, are only able to gain insight into an operations QC system by physically reviewing the paper records, looking for non-conforming situations and trends. Currently, customer QC audits require a sig- nificant investment of time onsite devoted to a simple records review. In addition to visibility, accountabil- ity presents a well-known challenge across our industry. An inspection of paper records tells a manager or audi- tor that the records were completed, but not when, where or necessarily by whom. The term “pencil whip- ping” exists in the aviation vernacular because of specific issues relating to accountability within a paper records system. Finally, human factor issues are of particular concern in fuel QC. The identification and communica- tion of nonstandard conditions and trends falls completely on people who are subject to many factors that can compromise their performance: an 78 employee, tired after a long shift, may fail to identify a key change in differ- ential pressure or, in the middle of a busy rush, a team member may forget to communicate a non-conforming issue discovered during an inspection. The Safety 1st FQMS utilizes a digital system to overcome the chal- lenges of a paper-based system. Cloud-based records and a customiz- able alerting system create instant visibility throughout an organization. Managers, supervisors and even business owners can set their alert- ing preferences and receive real-time updates on QC issues, critical alerts and daily summary reports that highlight findings and system sta- tus. Reviewing QC records is nearly instantaneous from anywhere in the world with internet access. The Safety 1st FQMS also addresses accountabil- ity. The system is designed so that checks and inspections are completed using a mobile tablet or smartphone that capture and stamp each entry with the current user as well as the date, time and location the entry was created. When reviewing inspection entries, a satellite map can be viewed displaying the location where the results were entered. Adding to the accountability features, daily inspec- tions can only be entered on the day they are due. If daily inspections are not done during the current day, the system records a “not completed” entry and cannot be overwritten with “pencil-whipped” data. Finally, to help address human factor con- cerns, the Safety 1st FQMS includes “Compliance Sentry” technology that reviews inspection results and identi- fies nonstandard conditions and alerts both the inspector and management. Aside from addressing the key issues in our current system, the FQMS enhances processes that are already in use in a paper environ- ment. The digital “Discrepancy Log” functions much like the current clipboard or binder-based version. However, in the FQMS, discrep- ancies are automatically added, status updates populate through- out the system, keeping everyone informed, and open items can only be resolved by authorized individu- als, ensuring that records of main- tenance are captured and stored. The Safety 1st FQMS provides an auditing portal that allows FBOs to provide remote access to customer and regulator auditors. Auditors are then able to log into the FBO’s system to perform a remote records audit from anywhere in the world allowing them to apply a risk-based approach to onsite audits, saving time and money. The Safety 1st FQMS was adapted from a system currently in use, and proven to work, in the commercial airline fueling world. General avia- tion businesses can rely on a proven code base that has been modified to comply with the unique opera- tions found at an FBO. The Safety 1st FQMS is affordably priced, making it accessible to all fueling opera- tions regardless of size or flowage. NATA is excited about the power, scalability and ease-of- use of the Safety 1st FQMS. You can sign up for an online dem- onstration or get more informa- tion on the FQMS by contacting [email protected] or Alexandra Connole at (202) 774-1535. Aviation Business Journal | 1st Quarter 2018
