Navigating aviation safety management systems

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August 31, 2023 - Airport safety is a critical aspect of aviation operations for ensuring the safety of passengers, employees, and infrastructure. To address the evolving safety management challenges, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) periodically updates and enhances its regulations. Recently, the FAA introduced new safety management regulations for most airports across the country, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement and adaptability as these airports put safety management systems in place. Read on as Tim Rowe, Senior Consultant, BSI, answers a few questions and offers some comprehensive insights on the process.

1. Why is implementing a safety management system (SMS) crucial for organizations operating in the aviation industry? How does it contribute to overall safety and operational efficiency?

An SMS is a systematic approach to safety that builds on existing processes that many organizations already have in place to create a safer workplace. It establishes a framework for improving employee safety and health, with an emphasis on the proactive identification of hazards and reduction of risk.

Implementing an SMS demonstrates a corporate commitment to safety and reinforces the development of a strong safety culture. In high-risk industries such as aviation, effective safety management is essential for an organization to continue operations and grow the business.

2. How do these new SMS regulations reflect a shift towards a proactive safety approach, and what benefits can aviation organizations reap from adhering to them?

The FAA's 14 CFR Part 139 rules historically oversee airport airfield operations. These rules are reactive, compliance-focused, and centered on detailed facility checklists. Facility inspections are vital but miss organizational systems and culture. SMS principles cover these, stressing a safety culture beyond checklists.

3. Incorporating an SMS requires an organizational culture that values safety. How do the new regulations encourage the development of a strong safety culture?

The first pillar of the FAA SMS model is safety policy. Safety policy considers attributes such as a written safety policy with supporting goals and objectives to achieve and sustain that policy. This pillar also includes accountability for safety in role descriptions for managers, supervisors, and line workers and consideration of safety performance as part of periodic employee performance evaluations. Organizationally, the FAA SMS expects safety leaders to have direct access to senior management and support active health and safety governance committees with strong line worker involvement. All of these elements work together to establish a solid foundation for building a strong safety culture.

4. What specific elements of the new FAA SMS regulations address the identification and reporting of safety hazards and incidents? How does this reporting contribute to continuous improvement in aviation safety standards?

Risk management, which is the second pillar of the FAA SMS, is a systematic process of proactively identifying hazards, assessing risks, and developing mitigation strategies. Accordingly, organizations must develop and follow a process to assess workplace hazards and initiate preventative actions to reduce unacceptable risks to an acceptable level. Furthermore, the regulation requires organizations to have a process for tenants and staff at all levels to report safety hazards in their work areas. These elements of risk management work together to continuously improve workplace safety by recognizing hazards and reducing risks before injuries or illnesses occur.

5. Training and education play a significant role in the success of an SMS. How do the new regulations from the FAA emphasize the importance of providing relevant training to personnel at all levels of an aviation organization?

Pillar four of the FAA SMS is safety promotion. While safety communication is core to this section of the SMS, it also includes requirements for safety training and records of training. Emphasis is given to ensure that staff at all levels of the organization, including executives and senior management, receive training in fundamental safety and hazard-recognition concepts. In addition, employees must be trained on the safety aspects of their jobs before they can work on their own. When employees have a new task to perform, actions must be taken to ensure their safety, including training on the potential hazards of that task. Records of all training must be maintained. Retraining must be provided according to specific occupational safety regulations and should be provided following an incident or near-miss event or when observation of employee activities demonstrates a lack of understanding or unsafe behavior.

6. Could you share examples of tangible benefits that aviation organizations can experience after implementing an SMS in line with the FAA regulations? How do these benefits extend beyond safety improvements?

Implementing an SMS demonstrates a commitment to employees and customers that safety is an organization-wide priority. Proactively assessing risk and implementing mitigation strategies reduces the potential and severity of safety-related incidents. Workers have access to a process to report safety concerns and recommendations to improve safety performance. Accordingly, the organization benefits from compliance with regulatory requirements, reduction in workplace incidents and injuries, increased employee engagement, and improved morale across the organization as management and workers work together to improve safety.

7. For aviation companies that might be hesitant about adopting an SMS due to concerns about time and resource investment, what would you say are the compelling reasons to overcome these hesitations and move forward with implementation?

For most airports across the US, the FAA regulation requires the development and implementation of an SMS to maintain their airport certification and license to operate. For others that are exempt from this requirement, an SMS is still recommended to provide the safety foundation and organizational benefits discussed here. In their regulation, the FAA recognizes that a “one-size-fits-all” approach is not reasonable and that the SMS should be scaled for smaller operations to meet the needs of organizations based on their size and complexity. The benefits realized through a reduction in workplace incidents and injuries, increased employee engagement, and improved morale across the organization are well worth the investment.

A properly designed and implemented SMS can give you and your stakeholders greater peace of mind while also complying with the new FAA rule aimed at enhancing airport safety. For more insights on environmental, health, safety and well-being, digital trust, privacy and information security, supply chain, and sustainability topics that should be at the top of your organization's list, visit BSI's Experts Corner.