Jack Coleman, Baines Simmons Consultant, provides an update on what the new Safety Management Systems (SMS) regulations mean for the industry.
Why Safety Management Systems are Needed?
Safety Management Systems (SMS) is ICAO’s, and subsequent aviation authorities, response to mitigate the limits of human performance in relation to aircraft safety. ICAO recognised the limitations of organisational processes and human performance, and identified the need for industry to no longer rely on re-active regulations. SMS is the proactive approach.
The key message is to continue our best practises when designing and producing safe products (‘product’ safety), but to run parallel safety management of all risks, and hazards that can influence the product (‘organisational’ safety; i.e. Covid-19). An effective SMS plays a significant part in improving safety. It provides a comprehensive corporate approach to safety, delivers effective organisational safety, and robust systems for assuring safety.
Part 21, in March 2022, was updated allowing organisations to prepare for the introduction of a Management Element to the approved organisation, with authorities ready to audit against from March 2023.
The introduction of an SMS, via Baines Simmons training and consulting, aims to further increase the safety level of all organisations, with specific organisations benefiting from a reduced authority level of involvement due to a high-performance organisational performance. Using our SMARRT MAP®, organisations will benefit from our holistic and expert approach, digesting the new regulations, and executing a business and regulatory effective SMS.
Why choose Baines Simmons?
We are specialists in helping organisations to understand, build, power-up and gain meaningful results from their SMS for safety performance and effective risk-based decision making.
During the Part 21 rulemaking process (for SMS), we actively participated in the EASA-led working groups to review comments to the NPAs and to assist EASA in the drafting of the supporting AMC/GM.
Our DOA and POA courses will incorporate SMS by June 2021 to provide a solid foundation in the new Part 21 requirements: Practitioner courses already available and used in both the Initial and Continued Airworthiness domain (e.g. TS01, TS02, TS30, TS90 and TS112). We can conduct a pre-audit prior to the March 2023 deadline and can help close any findings before March 2025. Using SMARRT MAP, we can conduct an independent performance diagnostic on the effectiveness of your SMS.