As this “back to basic” series progresses, we will touch on all of the above elements, however, in this article we will review SMS in general.

Safety Management Systems evolved from the combination of system safety concepts that themselves evolved from the 1960s or so, combined with also evolving concepts of management systems, first in the form of Quality Management Systems (QMSs) and then into occupational health and SMSs, environmental management system, and others.

ICAO's definition of SMS is “a systematic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organisational structures, accountability, policies and procedures”. To support safety at a state (regulator) and service provider (operator), ICAO has published Annex 19 – Safety Management and the corresponding guidance material in Doc 9859 – Safety Management Manual. These standards and recommended practices provide the framework for regulators to provide oversight and operators to implement the required SMS.

SMS is a dynamic risk management system based on QMS principles in a structure scaled appropriately to the operational risk, applied in a safety culture environment. It is a system to ensure the safe operation of aircraft through effective management of safety risk. The system is designed to continuously improve safety by identifying hazards, collecting and analysing data, and assessing risks. One of the primary goals of SMS is to proactively contain or mitigate risks prior to resulting accidents and incidents.

Measuring and controlling performance is all a part of the process. Setting goals, identifying activities to reach those goals, and improving performance are all subcomponents of that process. This requires measuring performance against pre-established performance-level expectations and implementing changes to adjust to acceptable levels. Safety performance is now measured with the same tools and techniques utilised in total quality measures.

ICAO doc 9859 states that the purpose of an SMS is to provide service providers with a systematic approach to managing safety. It is designed to continuously improve safety performance through: the identification of hazards, the collection and analysis of safety data and safety information, and the continuous assessment of safety risks. The SMS seeks to proactively mitigate safety risks before they result in aviation accidents and incidents and allows operators to effectively manage their activities, safety performance and resources, while gaining a greater understanding of their contribution to aviation safety. An effective SMS will demonstrate to States the ability to manage safety risks and provides for effective management of safety at the State level.