REPORTS
Opinion Versus Evidence
A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Safety Management Systems
Thomas, Matthew J.W., and Westwood-Thomas Associates. Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). 46 pp. Figures, tables, references, appendix. November 2012, updated Dec. 10. Available at www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2012/xr-2011-002.aspx.
Safety management systems (SMS) have a vast amount of academic management theory behind them, and their principles seem logical. While there is some variation in views of the components of an SMS, they generally include identification of safety hazards; remedial action to reduce those hazards; continuous monitoring of safety performance; and continuous improvement of the SMS itself. SMS might be said to represent a fundamental conceptual change in risk management. The emphasis shifts from complianc…
