Part 21 industry, since 7th March 2023, is now implementing the Safety Management Element (SMe) as the latest regulation became applicable. Since the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) released the Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) and Guidance Material (GM), in support of the legislation in late 2022, organisations are priming themselves to adjust to this new proactive approach to safety.
UK organisations are eagerly anticipating the UK CAA’s plan on how they will follow the intent of ICAO Annex 19. It is to be expected that a consultation will appear in the near future requesting UK organisations to provide their input, similar to what has occurred for Part 145 organisations.
Organisations that are familiar with the Safety Management System (SMS) concept tends to have their operator, and/or CAMO, and/or other approval into the management system construct. But, there are many design and production organisations that are stand-alone and have not had the benefit of another approval paving their organisation’s SMS path. For these organisations, the concept of Safety Risk Management (SRM), safety assurance, “…hazards and associated risks inherent in those activities…” [21.A.139 & 21.A.239] are novel. As Duane Kritzinger wrote, system safety and SMS are related but are not the same.
Baines Simmons is here to support any organisation at any level of SMS maturity with our numerous training and consulting services.
Our TR24M01 (Subpart J) and our TR14 (Subpart G) products offer the opportunity for organisations and delegates to see how the Safety Management Element applies to the respective regulatory system. We answer the question, “what does SMS mean for my approval”, and allow delegates to envisage the intent of the safety management element and how this will shape Part 21 in the future whilst refreshing or baselining, delegates’ Part 21 knowledge.
Moving specifically to our Safety Management offerings, our TS01 product focuses on management responsibilities, providing the outline and foundation knowledge of “Why do we need a Management system” and the content and intent of key safety management principles. This single-day course focuses on championing safety processes and creating an effective system that delivers safety objectives, whilst supporting business performance for accountable managers and nominated persons, as well as business support managers who interact with the design and/or production management system(s).
The TS02 product digs deeper into the practical application of an effective SMS. Aimed at Safety Managers (AMC1 21.A.145(c)(2) para (j) or AMC1 21.A.245(b) para (g)), nominated persons (previously known as ‘Form 4 holders’). Anyone actively engaged in or responsible for the management system, delegates can take away our world-leading expertise, as well as tools and techniques to move their organisation from compliance to performance. At any maturity, the TS02 product will allow you and your organisation to mature your system to drive safety in line with business execution.
In addition to the above, Baines Simmons offers clients the opportunity to have a Part 21 and Safety Management specialist assist their organisation on their specific SMS journey, in an interactive workshop-style offering. As such, we offer (and have already completed) specific workshops designed to tailor an SMS approach to an organisation’s needs and activities. From understanding what specific hazards should your organisation be looking for, to analysing data (and the absence of data!), to the relationship between organisational risk and product risk – and how they can both contribute to each other. Our consultants are here to support organisations in this two-year transition period, so that when March 2025 quickly arrives, our clients will not only have a suitable SMS, but one that is effective.
For more information on how you can enable your organisation to perform safety better, get in touch with the Baines Simmons team.