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AAP element 2

Accountabilities and appointment of Key personnel

Organization

Personnel must be accountable, accept responsibility and lead by example.  If the workforce perceive management are not committed to safety, the entire safety culture is jeopardised.

Tasking and duties may be delegated, responsibility and accountability may not.  In the current environment of litigation, management are held responsible for the safety of employees,  potentially personally.

The roles, responsibilities and accountabilities for managers needs to be explicitly outlined in the SMS manual.

Demonstrating accountability

Management demonstrate accountability to safety by:

  • Actively supporting and promoting the SMS
  • Ensuring they and their staff comply with SMS process and procedure
  • Ensure resources are available to achieve SMS outcomes
  • Continually monitor their area of responsibility for SMS compliance.

The key personnel will include:

  • The CEO
  • Head of flying and/or maintenance operations
  • Head of check and training
  • Safety manager
  • Others as required, possibly including;
    • General manager
    • Head of ground servicing
    • Head of Cabin safety
    • Head of administration services.

The safety manager (SM) must have direct access to the CEO (if required) for all matters relating to safety. This needs to be independent of any operational matters, and regardless of the position within the organisational structure.  All other personnel in the structure need to have documented roles and responsibilities with respect to safety.

In the example structure below, the safety manager is a secondary role for a senior pilot (This is an actual example from a mid sized organisation from 2010). In the modern SMS environment the SM would be a stand alone position reporting directly to the CEO.

Org structure
Possible organisation structure – with example safety roles and responsibilities Note: SRC – Safety Review Committee, SAG – Safety Action Group

 The safety manager

Regardless of the size and complexity of the organisation, a person will be required to manage safety albeit as a full time or part time role.  That person will need to be given recognition and resources to manage the SMS and be appointed Safety Manager (SM).

The role, responsibilities, qualifications, required training and even recommended personality traits are clearly described on page 16 of  CAAP SMS 1-(0).  (click to download the PDF)

The SM must have direct access to the CEO. This is an essential link so that safety matters are viewed independently of operational issues and influences.   The SM will be highly visible throughout the organisation and be clearly support by all levels of management.  When fulfilling the role, the SM must be viewed in context and separately from any other position they may hold in the organisation.

Again, depending on the size and complexity of the organisation, the SM may require a deputy SM and potentially other support staff.  It is important to note that the SM is not the sole person responsible for safety in the organisation. every person in the organisation is responsible for safety, but the SM will co-ordinate all safety related activities and ensure the SMS functions effectively.

Just as the CFO is not there to make a company profitable, the SM is not there to make a company safe, they are there to manage finance and safety respectively.