Safety Management Systems | SMS
Why Should Aerospace or Aviation Companies Develop an SMS?
There are many reasons for aviation companies to develop and implement a Safety Management Plan. These reasons include:
- Improved safety and security in an extremely competitive environment.
- Improvements in corporate spirit and teamwork: implementation of an SMS can foster better understanding of roles and responsibilities, and improve internal communications.
- Improved loss prevention: direct losses that can minimized through implementation of an SMS include reduced damage to aircraft, reduced property damage, reduced personal injuries and loss of life, and reduced legal claims. Indirect losses that can be minimized include: loss of business to competition, risk of damage to the corporate reputation, higher insurance premiums, reduced productivity, adverse impacts to the environment (and associated permitting), opportunity loss of equipment usage, and osts associated with replacement and repair of equipment.
- Insurance and Financing: Implementation of an SMS can have a profound impact on insurance costs and even the ability to obtain insurance or financing for new or expanded operations.
- Customer Confidence: a catastrophic incident can have devastating, long-lasting impacts on customer and stakeholder confidence in a business. Implementation of an effective SMS can greatly mitigate the risk of a catastrophic event occurring.
- Regulator Confidence: the aviation industry is heavily regulated, and oversight from FAA, OSHA and EPA will only increase in the coming years. Companies with robust SMS will experience greater compliance with regulatory requirements and lower incidents of violations. As a result, these companies will derive benefits from improved relations with, and confidence from, the regulating agencies.
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