State and regional civil aviation authorities are changing their approach to regulatory oversight with the evolution of safety management systems (SMS), and some have struggled with confusion and inconsistencies. Recognizing this, the Safety Management International Collaboration Group (SM ICG), a group of regulators, has responded with experience-based advice about the transition.
Members of the SM ICG have begun sharing experiences and lessons learned to provide better guidance on the interpretation of safety management requirements. One key objective is to deliver guidance on how to implement a state safety program (SSP) and SMS at both the state and operator levels. Essential to the successful implementation of SMS is the realization that SMS builds on years of prescriptive requirements written as a result of lessons learned from past events (reactively). This has produced a safe industry, but we must also ensure that we do not become complacent as the aviation system changes.
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