The State Safety Program derives from the States obligations to comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standard and Recommended Practices (SARP’s).
The following Annex’s to the Convention was signed by 52 states on 7 December 1944 and came into effect on 4 April 1947.
Annex 1 Personnel Licensing
Annex 6 Operation of Aircraft
Annex 8 Airworthiness of Aircraft
Annex 11 Air Traffic Services
Annex 13 Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation
Annex 14 Aerodromes
Note – It is the intention during 213 for ICAO to create a single documented standard Annex 19 to reflect the entire requirements of SMS across all aviation areas
The above annex’s include the requirement (obligation) for States to establish a State Safety Programme which is focused on the need to achieve an acceptable level of Safety within each contracting state.
Compliance with ICAO requirements for the State Safety Program is identified during period audits performed by ICAO through the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP). The USOAP was introduced with the primary task of conducting aviation safety oversight audits in order to identify deficiencies and encourage their resolution by States. (ICAO is a UN body and this in itself increases the onus and obligation placed on the contracting states)
The State has an obligation to promulgate a national legislative framework and specific regulations to ensure compliance with international and national standards. This obligation becomes somewhat complicated when considering the obligations of states towards EASA which in many cases may supersede the nation regulations. The obligation extends to the identification regarding how the states Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) over see’s the management of safety in the State, including activities associated with the CAA’s responsibility for the management of safety in the State.
Together with the establishment of the roles, responsibilities, and relationships of organisations in the system. A mechanism should be included which will allow the safety standards to be periodically reviewed to ensure they remain relevant and appropriate to the State.
The responsibilities of the Civil Aviation Authorities includes the directives to plan, organise, develop, control and continuously improve the State’s safety programme in a manner that meets the State’s safety needs.
The responsibilities of the Civil Aviation Authorities also include a clear statement about the provision of the necessary human and financial resources for the implementation of the State’s safety programme.
The state safety program should have in place both an accident and incident investigation process together with an enforcement and oversight policy that allows operators/service providers to deal with, and resolve, events involving safety deviations and minor violations internally, within the context of the operator/service provider. (this process to be overseen by the CAA to ensure ingoing acceptability.
Tags:
CAA, Civil Aviation Authority, EASA, ICAO, International Civil Aviation Organization, SARP, SSP, Standard and Recommended Practices, State Safety Program, Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme, USOAP
