Safety Management System Overview

Safety Management System (SMS) Overview

• SMS is vital for establishing a systematic approach to attain acceptable safety risk levels in organizations, whether they provide products/services or oversee safety.
• Safety culture is a fundamental, intangible component of SMS that influences the effectiveness of safety management practices.

Functional Components of SMS

• Safety Policy

  • Demonstrates senior management's commitment to enhancing safety continuously.
  • Clarifies safety objectives and management commitment to achieving them.
  • Defines the necessary methods and organizational structure for meeting safety goals.
  • Ensures transparency and accountability in safety management.
  • Incorporates documentation and processes to facilitate reporting and resolution of safety issues.
  • Promotes cooperation and communication across different organizational segments.

• Safety Risk Management (SRM)

  • A formal SMS process aimed at evaluating the adequacy of risk controls.
  • Comprises five steps:
    • Describing the system
    • Identifying hazards
    • Assessing risks
    • Analyzing risks
    • Controlling risks
  • Integrates SRM processes with existing product/service delivery mechanisms.

• Safety Assurance (SA)

  • Ensures the effectiveness and compliance of risk control strategies over time.
  • Supports the continual identification of new hazards and safety improvements.
  • Functions include:
    • Compliance evaluations with FAA orders and regulations.
    • Information acquisition through audits and employee reporting.
    • Data analysis for insights into safety enhancements.
  • Continues to evaluate existing assurance mechanisms to improve service quality.

• Safety Promotion

  • Encompasses training, communication, and initiatives to foster a robust safety culture across all organizational levels.
  • Activities include:
    • Providing comprehensive SMS training.
    • Advocating for a positive safety culture.
    • Enhancing safety awareness and communication.
    • Aligning competency needs with system requirements.
    • Sharing lessons learned from safety incidents.

Interconnection of SRM and SA

• SRM and SA are core interactive processes within SMS, emphasizing their interconnectedness.
• Interfaces highlight the flow of authority, responsibility, communication, and documentation among departments and contractors.
• Risks and compliance are monitored through the relationship between safety assessments and actions taken in both SRM and SA.