At Beakon, we work with clients from the aviation industry, where our safety management systems are used to apply safety principles, framework and processes. The aim of a safety management system in any industry is to to help prevent accidents, injuries and to minimise other risk. 

Within aviation it is especially important to have these systems in place, as it can be a higher risk environment. We’re looking at the 12 components of a safety management strategy as outlined by CASA which can help businesses understand their obligations.

What are the standard safety management system (SMS) frameworks in Aviation?

Civil Aviation covers private and commercial flying and is governed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in Australia. CASA outlines the standard framework for safety management systems which feature four components and 12 elements.

CASA notes that a SMS must be scalable, and fit for purpose. This is where a cloud based system like Beakon is essential, allowing multiple workers to access information remotely and save their records online. 

CASA Safety Management System Guidelines

The four main categories of a safety management system are:

• Safety and objective
• Safety risk management
• Safety assurance 
• Safety promotion

Then within each category there are key points that need to be addressed. These include:

• Safety policy and objectives
  • Management commitment and responsibility
  • Safety accountabilities
  • Appointment of key safety personnel
  • SMS implementation
  • Contractors/third party interfaces
  • Coordination of emergency response planning
  • SMS documentation
• Safety risk management
  • Hazard identification
  • Risk assessment and mitigation
• Safety assurance
  • Safety performance monitoring and measurement
  • Internal safety investigation
  • The management of change
  • Continuous improvement of the SMS
• Safety promotion
  • Training and education
  • Safety communication

How does Beakon address these needs?

A safety management system like Beakon allows businesses to stay on top of the above requirements and continually improve their safety procedures. As mentioned, it is not just minimising incidents, but preparing for them and training staff to minimise their likelihood. Beakon software has all bases covered.

Repeatable and reliable risk assessment as part of the safety management system

One of the most effective ways that businesses use Beakon software is to carry out repeatable risk assessments. Our risk assessment software allows you to repeat processes for repeat jobs and set reminders so that you never get complacent.

Some of the most popular elements of the risk assessment software are:

• A digital and embedded risk matrix

Use the Beakon default ‘out of the box’ matrix or your own business risk matrix, to drive consistency in risk rating.

• Identification measures for high-risk work

Ensure high risk work is managed appropriately with early identification and management.  Risk Assessments help capture the need for permits and additional licensing.

• Control measures with automated notifications

Reminders and escalations for control measures help drive action and close out prior to the commencement of any work.  Prioritise work by the due date and risk rating.

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