For this Chapter, a safety management system (SMS) is a systematic approach to managing safety at an aerodrome that must include the organisational structures, accountabilities, policies, procedures and documentation required by this Chapter to manage safety in a continuous and systematic way.
25.02 Requirement for an SMS
the aerodrome operator must have an SMS.
Note CASA recommends that all other certified aerodromes should implement and utilise an SMS, as it provides for a systematic process to manage aerodrome safety, including hazards related to aircraft operations, through the following elements:
describing safety policies and objectives;
safety risk management processes;
safety assurance processes;
safety promotion activities.
Note: Further guidance is available through CASA Advisory Circular (AC) 139.C.26: Safety management systems for aerodromes, as existing from time to time and freely available on the CASA website.
(2) The SMS (the first SMS) must be prepared and implemented not later than 12 months after:
(a) for paragraph (1) (a) — the date of publication, by the Department, of the air transport passenger movement numbers indicating that, for the first time under this MOS, there have been 50 000 or more air transport passenger movements for the aerodrome for the financial year; or
(b) for paragraph (1) (b) — the date the aerodrome operator becomes aware of information indicating that, for the first time under this MOS, there have been 100 000 or more aircraft movements at the aerodrome in the course of the financial year.
(3) The SMS must be reviewed, and revised if necessary, not later than 12 months after the first SMS, and the SMS must be reviewed, and revised if necessary, at least once every 12 months thereafter.
(c) subsequently would have applied to the operator again if such application were deemed to be for the first time under this MOS;
(e) subsection (3) applies to the operator for the second and subsequent reviews after the deemed first time.
(5) The operator of an aerodrome with scheduled international air transport operations must have an SMS before such scheduled operations commence.
(6) The aerodrome operator must ensure that the SMS is:
(a) maintained as a functioning system that is guided and supported by the SMS documentation required by this Chapter; and
(b) commensurate with the size of the aerodrome and the complexity of its activities; and
Part Part 25 - Part 139 (Aerodromes) Manual of Standards 2019 - SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS | Zoe
(c) used to ensure that aviation safety risks associated with the aerodrome’s activities are reduced to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable; and
(d) reviewed at least once every 12 months.
25.03 Matters which must be addressed in an SMS
(1) The SMS must provide for, and include documented details of, the aerodrome operator’s:
(a) commitment to, and responsibility for, aerodrome safety; and
(b) safety policy and safety objectives.
(2) The SMS must provide for, and include documented details of, the safety accountabilities of the aerodrome operator’s managers.
(3) The SMS must provide for, and include documented details of, the aerodrome operator’s procedures for the following:
(a) the appointment of safety management personnel;
(b) relevant third-party relationships and interactions;
(c) coordination of an emergency response plan;
(d) identification of, and access to, documentation relevant to the SMS.
(4) The SMS must provide for, and include documented details of, the aerodrome operator’s safety risk management processes, including:
(a) hazard identification processes; and
(b) risk assessment and mitigation processes.
(5) The SMS must provide for, and include documented details of, the aerodrome operator’s safety assurance process, including the procedures for the following:
(a) safety performance monitoring and measurement;
(b) internal safety investigation;
(c) management of change that may affect safety;
(d) continuous improvement of the SMS.
(6) The SMS must provide for, and include documented details of, the aerodrome operator’s safety training and promotion process, including the procedures for the following:
(a) SMS training and education;
(b) SMS safety communication.
25.04 Particular SMS matters for aerodromes with scheduled international air transport operations
(1) The operator of an aerodrome that has scheduled international air transport operations must have an SMS that:
(a) complies with section 25.03; and
(b) provides for, and includes documented details of, the matters mentioned in this section.
Management commitment
(2) The aerodrome operator’s safety policy must:
(a) reflect organisational commitment to safety, including the promotion of a positive safety culture; and
(b) include a clear statement about the allocation of resources for the implementation of the safety policy; and
(c) include safety reporting procedures; and
(d) in the context of the aerodrome operator’s aviation activities — indicate which types of behaviours are unacceptable as well as indicating circumstances under which disciplinary action would not apply; and
(e) be signed by the accountable manager; and
(f) be communicated and promoted throughout the aerodrome operator’s organisation; and
(g) be periodically reviewed to ensure it remains relevant and appropriate to the operator.
Safety objectives
(3) The aerodrome operator’s safety objectives must:
(a) form the basis for safety performance monitoring and measurement; and
(b) reflect the aerodrome operator’s commitment to continuously improve the effectiveness of the SMS; and
(c) be communicated and promoted throughout the organisation; and
(d) be periodically reviewed to ensure the objectives remain relevant and appropriate to the operator.
Safety accountabilities and responsibilities
(4) The safety accountabilities must identify:
(a) the accountable manager who, irrespective of other functions, is accountable to the aerodrome operator for implementation and maintenance of an effective SMS; and
(b) the organisational lines of accountability for safety, including the direct accountability of specified senior management personnel; and
(c) the responsibilities of all members of the operator’s organisation who, irrespective of other functions, have responsibility for safety performance; and
(d) the specific levels of management with authority to make decisions regarding safety risk tolerability.
Appointment of primary person responsible for the SMS
(5) The SMS must identify at least one senior management individual, appointed by the aerodrome operator under the SMS, to be the primary person responsible for implementation, and continuous improvement, of the SMS (the primary person responsible for the SMS).
Note Depending on the size of the aerodrome and the complexity of its operations or services, responsibility for implementation and maintenance of the SMS may be assigned to one or more persons. The role of safety manager could be a sole function, or a function combined with other duties provided the other duties did not result in a conflict of interest or adversely affect the performance of safety duties.
Third-party interfaces
(6) The SMS must include procedures to ensure that:
(a) products or services provided by any third parties in the conduct of the aerodrome operator’s activities do not compromise aviation safety; and
(b) safety-critical information derived from the SMS is actively conveyed to relevant third parties.
Coordination of emergency response planning
(7) The SMS must include:
(a) an emergency response plan that addresses accidents and incidents in aircraft operations and other aviation emergencies; and
(b) procedures to ensure that the emergency response plan is properly coordinated with the emergency response plans of those organisations with which it must interface during the operator’s provision of aviation activities, products and services.
SMS documentation
(8) The SMS must provide for the following:
(a) an up-to-date SMS manual that describes the following:
(i) the safety policy and objectives;
(ii) the SMS requirements;
(iii) the SMS processes and procedures;
(iv) the accountabilities, responsibilities and authorities for SMS processes and procedures;
(v) the minimum skills and knowledge required for the primary person responsible for the SMS;
Note Depending on the size of the aerodrome and the complexity of its aviation products or services, the SMS manual may be a stand-alone document or may be integrated with other organisational documents.
(b) the creation, maintenance and retention of relevant operational records arising from the implementation and operation of the SMS under this Chapter.
Note 1 Relevant SMS operational records would include records, reviews, reports, assessments, analyses, verifications, investigations, training and communication programs, risk and hazard registers, safety cases, and details of persons who are or have been the primary persons responsible for the SMS.
Note 2 Depending on the size of the aerodrome and the complexity of its aviation products or services, SMS operational records may be a stand-alone collection or database, or they may be integrated with other organisational documents.
Hazard identification
(9) The SMS must include the aerodrome operator’s procedures to:
(a) identify hazards associated with its aviation activities, aviation products or aviation services; and
(b) ensure that hazard identification is based on a combination of proactive and reactive methods of safety data collection.
Safety risk assessment and control
(10) The SMS must include the aerodrome operator’s procedures to ensure the analysis, assessment and control of the safety risks associated with identified hazards.
Safety performance monitoring and measurement
(11) The SMS must include the aerodrome operator’s procedures to:
(a) verify the operator’s own safety performance and validate the effectiveness of risk controls; and
(b) ensure that the operator’s safety performance is verified by reference to:
(i) specified safety performance indicators; and
(ii) the safety performance targets of the SMS; and
(iii) the SMS’s safety objectives.
Internal safety investigation
(12) The SMS must include the aerodrome operator’s procedures for internal safety investigations, including procedures to:
(a) determine the level of investigation required for particular types of adverse events; and
(b) endeavour to establish the root cause of adverse events that are investigated; and
(c) communicate throughout the organisation the outcome of investigations.
Management of change
(13) The SMS must include the aerodrome operator’s procedures to:
(a) identify changes which could affect the level of safety risk associated with the operator’s aviation products or services; and
(b) identify and manage the safety risks that could arise from those changes.
Continuous improvement of the SMS
(14) The SMS must include the aerodrome operator’s procedures to ensure the maintenance of, and continuous improvement in, the overall effectiveness of the SMS.
SMS training and education
(15) The SMS must include the aerodrome operator’s procedures to maintain and deliver a safety training program to ensure that:
(a) the operator’s personnel are trained and competent to perform their SMS duties; and
(b) as far as possible, and to the degree appropriate, the relevant personnel of third-party service providers are provided with relevant SMS training; and
Note CASA considers “relevant personnel” to be persons whose role as a third party in relation to an aerodrome could affect aviation safety at the aerodrome.
(c) the scope of the SMS training is appropriate to each individual’s involvement in the SMS.
Safety communication
(16) The SMS must include the aerodrome operator’s procedures to maintain a formal means of safety communication that:
(a) ensures personnel are aware of the SMS to a degree commensurate with their positions; and
(b) conveys safety-critical information; and
(c) communicates safety accountabilities, responsibilities and authorities throughout the operator’s organisation; and
(d) explains why particular actions are taken to improve safety; and
(e) explains why safety procedures are introduced or changed.