MELBOURNE, Australia — Flight Safety Foundation is inviting applications from aviation audit organisations operating in Africa, Asia Pacific, North America, and South America to partner with its Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) Program to expand global access to the industry-leading safety initiative.
The Foundation is seeking to expand the pool of registered BARS audit companies to assist air operators in identifying any deficiencies in their safety oversight and potential risks, which can be addressed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of safe operations.
Gaining BARS Audit Company accreditation can open significant new markets for aviation audit companies in contract aviation and emerging sectors such as remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS). More than 300 aircraft and RPAS operators participate in the BARS Program worldwide.
The BARS Program was originally developed to meet the needs of the mining and resources sector, but its application has expanded to other organizations that use aviation to support their activities. These include government agencies, energy companies, oil and gas companies, and humanitarian and other aid agencies. Since the establishment of the BARS Program in 2010, there has been a continued downward trend in aviation-linked accidents and fatalities in the onshore resources sector.
The BARS Program has also developed an audit and registration program for RPAS/drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to clearly articulate and verify what procedures, processes and systems operators need to have in place to mitigate risk. The Audit Company application is now open to auditing organisations who specialise in delivering RPAS/UAV/drone audit works.
To become a registered BARS Audit Company, the organisations must be financially sound, have a deep knowledge of aviation regulations, safety protocols and best practices. They must have a comprehensive approach to auditing, covering all aspects of aviation operations including safety management systems, regulatory compliance, risk assessment and quality control.
Only trained and accredited BARS Auditors can be used in the conduct of a BARS audit and other services associated with the program. All auditors working in the BARS Program are required to successfully undertake the BARS Auditor Accreditation Course (AAC) before participating in a BARS audit.
In its 12 years of operation, the BARS Program has conducted more than 1300 audit events for more than 300 aircraft and RPAS operators in 42 countries.
For more information on the BARS Program, please review the Flight Safety Foundation BARS Program website at https://webdeva.flightsafety.org/bars/
To register interest in applying for BARS Audit Company accreditation, please contact BARS@webdeva.flightsafety.org.
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About Flight Safety Foundation the Basic Aviation Risk Standard Program
Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, international, and impartial non-profit that exists to champion the cause of aviation safety. The Foundation established the Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) Program in 2010 to review aviation operators providing aviation services to the resources and other sectors. The BARS Program is made up of a suite of risk-based aviation industry standards with supporting implementation guidelines.
Media Contact:
Sid Maher, Cole Lawson Communications
+61 0401 704 384
sid.maher@colelawson.com.au
