October 07, 2010
FAA has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which would require each Part 139 certificated airport to establish a Safety Management System (SMS) for its entire airfield environment (including movement and non-movement areas) to improve safety at airports hosting air carrier operations. An SMS is a formalized approach to managing safety by developing an organization-wide safety policy, developing formal methods of identifying hazards, analyzing and mitigating risk, developing methods for ensuring continuous safety improvement, and creating organization-wide safety promotion strategies. When systematically applied in an SMS, these activities provide a set of decisionmaking tools that airport management can use to improve safety. This proposal would require a certificate holder to submit an implementation plan and implement an SMS within timeframes commensurate with its class of Airport Operating Certificate (AOC).
According to the NPRM [Docket No. FAA–2010–0997; Notice No. 10– 14], an SMS provides an organization’s management with a set of decisionmaking tools that can be used to plan, organize, direct, and control its business activities in a manner that enhances safety and ensures compliance with regulatory standards. These tools are similar to those management already uses to make production or operations decisions. An SMS has four key components: Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management (SRM), Safety Assurance, and Safety Promotion. Definitions of these are as follows and further detailed in the proposal discussion. Safety Policy. Safety Policy provides the foundation or framework for the SMS. It outlines the methods and tools for achieving desired safety outcomes. Safety Policy also details management’s responsibility and accountability for safety. Safety Risk Management (SRM). As a core activity of SMS, SRM uses a set of standard processes to proactively identify hazards, analyze and assess potential risks, and design appropriate risk mitigation strategies. Safety Assurance. Safety Assurance is a set of processes that monitor the organization’s performance in meeting its current safety standards and objectives as well as contribute to continuous safety improvement. Safety Assurance processes include information acquisition, analysis, system assessment, and development of preventive or corrective actions for nonconformance. Safety Promotion. Safety Promotion includes processes and procedures used to create an environment where safety objectives can be achieved. Safety promotion is essential to create an organization’s positive safety culture. Safety culture is characterized by knowledge and understanding of an organization’s SMS, effective communications, competency in job responsibilities, ongoing training, and information sharing. Safety Promotion elements include training programs, communication of critical safety issues, and confidential reporting systems. Click here to read the complete NPRM in Federal Register Vol. 75, No. 194
August 01, 2010
H.R. 5900: Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 was signed into law by President Obama on August 1, 2010:
The law requires, among other things, the establishment of an FAA Pilot Records Database and changes regarding how both FAA and air carriers access and manage such data; air carrier management responsibilities for flight crewmember education and support; provisions for development of flight crewmember mentoring / professional development / leadership programs, including leadership and command training, as well as implementation of NTSB flight crewmember training recommendations into law within the next 36 months; annual onsite safety inspections of regional carriers; fatigue management rules; plans for ASAP and FOQA to be implemented within all part 121 carriers; and SMS requirements for a NPRM to be issued before November 01, 2010, and a final rule before August 01, 2010, which will require all part 121 carriers to implement a Safety Management System.
