The Functioning of Safety Groups within an EASA Part 145 Safety Management System
What functions are served by the following groups?
Sofema Online (SOL) www.sofemaonline.com takes a detailed look at the role & purpose of the Safety Groups within an EASA Compliant Part 145 Organisation.
» Safety Review Board (SRB)
» Safety Action Group (SAG)
» Safety Expert Group (SEG)
Safety Review Board Introduction & Activities
The Safety Review Board (SRB) is a high-level committee usually chaired by the Accountable Manager (AM) and attended by senior members of the Leadership Team and its role is to consider strategic safety functions including the following:
» To allocate appropriate resources are designated to achieve the established safety performance and gives strategic direction to the Safety Action Group (SAG).
» To monitor the following key areas:
o Safety performance against the safety policy and objectives;
o Effectiveness of the SMS implementation plan;
o Effectiveness of the safety oversight of sub-contracted organisations;
o That necessary corrective or mitigating actions are being taken in a timely manner;
o Effectiveness of the auditing of the SMS.
Safety Manager
Consider the following Statements – Do you agree?
» The Safety Manager is not responsible for the SMS (The business area owners and managers are)
» The Safety Manager is not expected to sit on the SRB and may attend the SAG (this is actually an indicator of the effectiveness of an organisation where the Leadership and Management team have both the understanding and competence to fulfill their roles within the Organisations SMS)
» The Safety Manager acts independently of other managers within the organization.
» The Safety Manager is responsible for providing information and advice to senior management and to the Accountable Executive on matters relating to safe operations.
» Tact, diplomacy, and a high degree of integrity are prerequisites for the SM Role.
» The Safety Manager is a service provider that gives essential information including:
o Facilitation of hazard identification, risk analysis, and management;
o Monitoring the implementation of the safety action plan;
o Provision of periodic reports on safety performance;
o Ensure maintenance of safety management documentation;
o Ensure that there is safety management training available and that it meets acceptable standards (Including Organisational Standards);
o Provision of guidance and advice on safety matters;
o The SM will initiate and participate in internal occurrence/accident investigations.
Safety Action Group Introduction & Activities
» The SAG reports to and takes strategic direction from the SRB. It comprises managers, supervisors, and staff from operational areas.
The Safety Manager may also be included in the SAG. (Important Note - This is a very important note and serves again to clearly illustrate the role of the Safety Manager)
The Safety Action Group:
» Oversees operational safety;
» Resolves identified risks;
» Assesses the impact on the safety of operational changes;
» Implements corrective action plans; and
» Ensures that corrective action is achieved within agreed timescales.
» The safety action group reviews:
» The effectiveness of previous safety recommendations; and
» Safety promotion.
The Safety Expert Group
The Safety Expert Group (SEG) is a sub-group of Co-opted Members, reporting to the SAG typically composed of the SM plus a small number of subject matter experts (dependent on the issue being analyzed)
The role of the SEG is twofold:
1/ To support the analysis of perceived risk associated with a given hazard
2/ To support the establishment of ALoSP - Acceptable Level of Safety Performance
» An Acceptable level of safety performance (ALoSP) is the combination of several performance targets, that are measured using safety indicators, and the action plans needed to achieve the set targets.
o The acceptable level of safety is generally defined in terms of the probability of an aircraft accident occurring.
o It is typically defined individually for each Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO) /service provider on the basis of the target level of safety required to demonstrate acceptance within the framework of the State Safety Program (SSP) Factors to be considered include:
- Complexity of operations
- Past safety performance
- Existing safety regulatory framework
- Applicable safety standards
Summary - Each agreed-established level of safety should be commensurate with the complexity of individual AMO/service providers’ operational contexts, and the level to which safety deficiencies can be tolerated and realistically addressed.
Next Steps
Please see www.sofemaonline.com for online training & www.sassofia.com for classroom and webinar training or email team@sassofia.com for additional training details.
