Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) www.sassofia.com looks at the need to deliver a Safety Management System (SMS) within the Aviation Environment.
Introduction and Definition of an SMS? (According to ICAO)
An SMS is a systematic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organizational structures, accountabilities, policies, and procedures.
With the introduction of a Safety Management System the organization embarks on an evolutionary process to deliver system safety and support safety management.
SMS obligates each organization to manage safety both internally and in respect of its contracted service providers with the same level of engagement that will be found in other core business process relationships.
What is the Objective of an SMS?
To provide a structured management approach to control safety risks throughout the Business. Effective safety management must take into account all of the organization’s specific structures and processes related to the safety of operations.
SMS provides the following features:
- A structured means of safety risk management decision making.
- A means of demonstrating safety management capability before system failures occur.
- Increased confidence in risk controls through structured safety assurance processes.
- An effective interface for knowledge sharing between regulator and certificate holder.
- A safety promotion framework to support sound safety culture.
SMS is a Management led, formal, top-down, organization-wide approach to:
- Managing safety risk and
- Assuring the effectiveness of safety risk controls.
- Includes the following elements:
o Procedures,
o Practices, and
o Policies for the management of safety risk.
Development of an Effective Aviation Safety Management System
Effective implementation of an SMS provides the organization’s leadership team with a structured set of tools which should (if managed proactively):
- Meet the organisations responsibilities related to safety regulatory obligations as defined by the regulator. (EASA)
- Support an internal SMS-led optimization program which has the potential to lead to real and meaningful savings and efficiencies throughout the business processes.
Development begins with the organizational safety policy defining the generic principles upon which the SMS is built and operated and outlines the strategy by which we will achieve acceptable levels of safety within the organization.
Detailed planning leading to the implementation of safety management procedures then follow.
- The SMS is focused on the need to identify and mitigate (where necessary) risk throughout the organization.
- Once the process is fully ready, various techniques can be utilized to enable the delivery of an acceptable level of safety performance within the organization.
o Extensive use is made of safety assurance and evaluation processes.
o The system should deliver continuous monitoring to identify areas of safety improvement.
Next Steps
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Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) Provides Safety Management System Consultancy, Classroom, Webinar and Online Training including the following course: SMS Safety Risk Management – 3 Days
Please see our websites www.sassofia.com and www.sofemaonline.com or email team@sassofia.com for additional details.
Tags:
aviation, aviation safety, Aviation Safety Management Systems, Aviation SMS, ICAO, Safety Management systems, Safety Risks, SAS blogs
