A Safety Management System (SMS) is a systematic approach to managing safety, including organizational structures, responsibilities, policies, and procedures.

Legal basis: EU Regulation 2017/373.

1. Safety Policy
2. One-page document signed by the CEO.
3. Shows management commitment.
4. Sets safety goals and responsibilities.
5. Safety Risk Management
6. Proactive hazard identification.
7. Risk assessment and mitigation.
8. Risks must be as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).
9. Reporting when problems arise.
10. Safety Assurance
11. Continuous monitoring and auditing.
12. Validates effectiveness of safety controls.
13. Enables continuous improvement.
14. Safety Promotion
15. Training programs for staff competence.
16. Communication (e.g., newsletters, intranet).
17. Fosters awareness and sharing of lessons learned.

To prevent incidents by building and maintaining a strong safety culture.

Everyone is responsible for safety.

All staff should report any safety concerns.

Encourages a Just Culture: mistakes can be reported without fear of punishment.

Used to document and analyze technical incidents within the SMS framework.

Defined as a combination of:

• Procedures
• Human resources
• Equipment (hardware/software)

ATSEPs play a key role in managing changes and ensuring safety through:

• Reporting
• Monitoring
• Competency management

• Written statements to ensure safety controls are implemented.
• Apply to:
• Equipment: behavior, accuracy, reliability, etc.
• People: performance, skills, workload.
• Procedures: timing, resources, sequence.
• Interactions: between system components.

• Document all safety management activities.
• Provide evidence that changes to the functional system are acceptably safe.
• Used to communicate safety assurance to stakeholders.

Q: What are the components of an SMS?

A: Policy, Risk Management, Assurance, Promotion.

Q: What is the purpose of risk management?

A: Identify, assess, manage, and mitigate risks to reach acceptable levels.

Q: Why are safety cases and requirements needed?

A: To ensure changes to systems are safe and documented, with clear goals and controls.