Safety Management System (SMS)

SMS provides a management system for integrating safety activities into normal day-to-day business practices. It is a formal, top down, systematic approach to identify hazards and control risks.

SMS includes four components – Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance, and Safety Promotion. SMS helps enhance safety by facilitating the development of an organization-wide safety policy and implementing methods to proactively identify and mitigate hazards.

• One of the key features of an effective SMS is to hold each person, regardless of his or her position, responsible for safety performance.
• In the San Antonio Airport System (SAAS), the Aviation Director is the highest ranking official, and therefore is the Accountable Executive.
• The Aviation Director ultimately assumes full responsibility for the SAAS SMS; however he can delegate the day-to-day operational responsibilities of the SMS to the Assistant Aviation Director.