First SMS NPRM released

The FAA’s first notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on safety management systems (SMS) was published on October 7 and will require Part 139 airports to adopt an SMS program within six to nine months of publication of the final rule. Comments are due by Jan. 5, 2011. According to the FAA, the SMS is a “formalized approach to ­managing safety by developing an organization-wide safety policy, developing formal methods of identifying hazards, ­analyzing and mitigating risk, developing methods for ensuring continuous safety improvement and creating organization-wide safety promotion strategies.” A 2001 International Civil Aviation Organization standard in Annex 14 requires member states to establish SMS requirements for airports. The FAA also recently released an SMS NPRM for Part 121 airlines, and Part 135 operators may be next in line.