Operating An SMS Aerodrome

Operating An SMS Aerodrome

By OffRoadPilots

An aerodrome operating with a safety management system

(SMS) is an SMS aerodrome and the operator is required

to comply with additional regulations than a registered

aerodrome, or a non-SMS aerodrome. An SMS aerodrome is

operated by an operator who prevent lands adjacent to

or in the vicinity of the aerodrome or from being used

or developed in a manner that is incompatible with the

safe operation of an aerodrome or aircraft. In addition

to operating in accordance with the SMS regulations, an

SMS aerodrome operates with the aerodrome zoning

regulations to maintain control of obstacle limitation

surfaces on lands beyond aerodrome property.

Before taking off

from, landing at or

otherwise operating

an aircraft at an

aerodrome, the

pilot-in-command of

the aircraft shall

be satisfied that

there is no

likelihood of

collision with

another aircraft or

a vehicle, and the

aerodrome is

suitable for the intended operation.

Aerodrome operators are responsible for publishing

their aerodrome information for pilots to assess

aerodrome suitability. A suitable aerodrome originates

at the instrument approach procedure for pilots flyingby instrument flight rules (IFR), or on the downwind leg for pilots flying by visual flight rules (VFR).

Suitability of an aerodrome also changes if there are

visual meteorological conditions (VMC) at the

aerodrome, or instrument meteorological conditions

(IMC) at the aerodrome. However, aerodrome operators do

not publish that there are infield structures impeding

on the line of sight for pilots to determine that there

is no likelihood of a collision and aerodrome

suitability. An infield structure is a structure on the

runway side of a line when drawing a line between two

thresholds.

A safety management system for aerodromes is a

comprehensive and systematic approach to managing

safety risks and ensuring the safety of aerodrome

operations. It is a structured and proactive way of

identifying, assessing, and mitigating safety hazards

and risks within an aerodrome environment. SMS is

particularly important in the aerodrome industry to

ensure the safety in operations, safety for the

travelling public, and safety for airside personnel.

Safety is a wide spectrum word and without a definite

definition. Safety refers to the state of being free

from harm, danger, or risk. It encompasses a range of

measures, practices, and conditions designed to prevent

accidents, injuries, and potential hazards. Safety is

applied to various contexts, such as personal safety,

workplace safety, road safety, and environmental

safety. It involves identifying and mitigating

potential dangers and promoting the well-being and

protection of individuals, property, and the

environment. Safety measures include the use of

protective gear, adherence to safety guidelines andregulations, risk assessment, emergency preparedness,

and the promotion of a culture that prioritizes the

prevention of harm and accidents.

Free from harm means that something is not causing or

experiencing any damage, injury, or negative

consequences. It indicates a state where there is no

risk or danger to the well-being, safety, or health of

a person, animal, or object. It refers to the absence

of physical, emotional, or psychological harm. For

example, a safe environment or a product that is free

from harmful effects is one that does not pose any

threat or danger to individuals or entities involved.

Danger refers to a

state or situation

in which something

or someone is

exposed to the

potential for harm,

injury, damage, or

loss. It signifies a

condition where

there is a risk or

threat that adverse

or harmful events

may occur. Danger takes many forms, including physical,

environmental, social, or even abstract risks. It's a concept that's often used to warn people of potential hazards or to describe circumstances that require

caution, vigilance, and preventive measures to avoid

harm. Understanding and recognizing danger is crucial

for personal safety and decision-making in various

aspects of life.

A risk is the potential for an undesirable or

unexpected outcome or event to occur. It represents the

uncertainty or probability of harm, loss, or negative

consequences associated with a particular action,

decision, situation, or event. Risks exist in various

aspects of operations, including business, finance,

health, and everyday activities.

In the context of business and finance, risk often

refers to the possibility of financial losses or

negative impacts on investments, projects, or

operations. Financial risks are highly applicable to

aerodrome operations, since customer service affects

their revenue.

Financial Risk: The risk of losing money due to factors

such as market volatility, credit issues, or economic

downturns.

Market Risk: The risk associated with changes in market

conditions, such as fluctuations in stock prices,

interest rates, or currency exchange rates.

Operational Risk: The risk of losses resulting from

inadequate or failed internal processes, systems,

people, or external events.

Credit Risk: The risk that a borrower or counterparty

will fail to meet their financial obligations.

Legal and Regulatory Risk: The risk of legal actions,

compliance issues, or regulatory changes that can

impact an organization's operations.Reputational Risk: The risk associated with damage to

an organization's reputation, which can result from

various factors, including public perception and social

media.

In a broader sense, risk applies to personal and

everyday life situations, such as the risks associated

with flying an airplane, working airside at an

aerodrome, driving a car, health-related risks, and

even the risks associated with trying something new or

making important life decisions. In these cases,

individuals often assess and manage risks to make

informed choices and minimize potential negative

consequences.

Risk management involves identifying, assessing, and

mitigating risks to minimize their impact based on

likelihood, severity, and exposure. Different

strategies are employed to manage and mitigate with

risks, including risk avoidance, risk reduction, risk

transfer, and risk acceptance.

When referring to safety and to ensure safety in

aerodrome and aircraft operations, the word safety has

no meaning until it is defined within a specified

probability environment in time (speed), space

(location), and compass (direction). Examples of

environment could be to expect inflight icing across

mountain ridges at a specific time, at a specified

location, and direction of flight. Only when safety is

defined it becomes possible to mitigate safety in

operations.

Operating an SMS aerodrome is different from how

aerodromes were operated prior to the safety managementsystem regulations. Prior to the SMS regulations, an

aerodrome operator was an airside maintainer only

without other responsibilities than to ensure the

runways were there every morning. Being an airside

maintainer, their responsibilities were to replace or

repair as required when items failed. Aerodrome

Operations Manuals (AOM) were literally placed on a

shelf to collect dust. With the SMS regulations,

everything changed for aerodrome operators.

Aerodrome operators had to make drastic changes to

their operating process and their everyday work

responsibilities and maintain an SMS manual with

required content.

Safety Policy: An

aerodrome's

management

establishes a safety

policy that outlines

its commitment to

safety and sets the

overall safety

objectives and

goals. This policy

serves as a

foundation for the

SMS.

Safety Risk Management: This process involves

identifying and analyzing safety hazards and risks within aerodrome operations. Hazard identification and risk assessment are crucial steps in this process.Safety Assurance: In this phase, safety performance is

monitored and measured to ensure that the safety

objectives are met. This may involve safety audits,

inspections, data collection, and analysis.

Safety Promotion: Promoting a safety culture and

raising awareness among aerodrome personnel is

essential. Training, communication, and safety

education programs are often included in this aspect of

the SMS.

Safety Reporting and Investigation: Establishing a

system for reporting safety incidents, near misses, and

safety concerns is vital. Investigations are carried

out to determine the root causes of safety events and

to prevent their recurrence.

Safety Documentation: Maintaining proper documentation

of safety-related activities, including risk

assessments, incident reports, and safety manuals, is a

critical component of an SMS.

Safety Communication: Effective communication among all

stakeholders, including aerodrome personnel, airlines,

regulators, and other organizations, is essential to

ensure the exchange of safety information and lessons

learned.

Emergency Response Planning: Preparing for and

responding to emergencies, such as aircraft accidents,

natural disasters, or security threats, is a critical

part of aerodrome safety management.

Continuous Improvement: An SMS is a dynamic system that

requires continuous improvement. Lessons learned fromsafety events and performance data are used to make

necessary changes to enhance safety.

These SMS requirements aim to enhance safety and reduce

the likelihood of accidents or incidents within the

aviation sector. The specific requirements and

guidelines for SMS implementation needs to be tailored

to the size and complexity of the aerodrome.

All these safety initiatives, Safety Policy, Safety

Risk Management, Safety Assurance, Safety Promotion,

Safety Reporting and Investigation, Safety

Documentation and Safety Communication, are necessary

to operate an SMS aerodrome. Until each safety items

are defined and specified, no actions are required by

the aerodrome operator and an SMS aerodrome operator

remains an airside maintainer.

Linking the SMS policy to airside processes is crucial

to remain of the path of operational control.

Start by identifying the policies that are relevant to

specific processes. These could include quality

management, data security, compliance, or any other

policies applicable to the SMS enterprise.

Have a clear understanding of the processes within the

SMS enterprise. Document these processes step by step

to identify key activities, stakeholders, and safety

critical areas and safety critical functions.

For each process, map the specific requirements

outlined in relevant policies. This ensures that every

step in the process aligns with the guidelines set

forth in the policies. Apply the Daily Rundownprinciple, which is daily quality control system of

processes.

Develop documentation that clearly outlines how each

policy is integrated into the corresponding process.

This documentation should be easily accessible to

employees involved in these processes.

Ensure that employees are aware of the policies linked

to their processes. Conduct training sessions to

communicate the importance of adherence to these

policies and how it directly relates to their day-to-

day activities.

Implement monitoring and auditing mechanisms to track

compliance with linked policies. Regularly review

processes to ensure that they continue to align with

established guidelines.

Establish a feedback mechanism where employees can

report challenges or suggest improvements related to

policy implementation within processes. This helps in

continuous improvement.

If applicable, integrate the linkage between policies

and processes into the organization's quality

management systems. This can streamline the overall

governance and compliance framework.

Policies and processes are dynamic and may change over

time. Regularly review and update the linkage between

policies and processes to ensure continued relevance.

When updating is policy It is crucial to update the

policy based on visions of what to achieve and what the

organization will look like in the future.Maintain a centralized repository for all documentation

related to policies and their linkage to processes.

This makes it easier for employees to access the

information they need. SiteDocs is an acceptable

program for data collection, resource library and to

maintain SMS compliance.

Remember, the goal is to create a seamless integration

between policies and processes, fostering a culture of

compliance and efficiency within the organization.

Over the years

aerodromes have

accommodated for

changes to size and

complexity in

aircraft operations.

Runways are paved,

marked with linear

dimensions given to

the nearest one-half

metre. Before survey

accuracy were

measured by a global positioning system (GPS) a

measuring wheel was used to measure runway dimensions.

There were no calibration standards for measuring

tools, and an aerodrome operator was therefore required

to supply their own measuring tool for regulatory

inspections. Today, runway length measurements are

precise and also consider the change in runway length

caused by geoid undulation. Prior to SMS, aerodromes

estimated obstacle heights in approach and departure

paths for interference with approaches and departures

by visual reference only.Changes and improvements were made to improve safety, but without specifying the details of what safety

elements were improved. It was just done for safety

reasons and left up to everyone’s imagination to use

their own judgement when defining safety.

What has changed with an SMS aerodrome is to expand how

an aerodrome operator maintain processes and actions to

specific and defined safety items. During VMC or IMC

and before taking off from, landing at or otherwise

operating an aircraft at an aerodrome, the pilot-in-

command (PIC) of the aircraft shall be satisfied that

there is no likelihood of collision with another

aircraft or a vehicle, and the aerodrome is suitable

for the intended operation. There are two specific

safety items an aerodrome operator needs to maintain

within their safety management system to assist pilots

using their aerodrome. These are the aerodrome zoning

regulations, including obstacle limitations surfaces,

and airside line of sight.

Aerodrome zoning regulation (AZR) is a regulation

applicable to lands adjacent to and in the vicinity of

an aerodrome. An aerodrome is under federal

jurisdiction, while lands outside of the aerodrome is

under local jurisdiction. An aerodrome operator does

not have the authority to remove obstacles beyond

aerodrome property that are interfering with the

approach or departures path unless they are operating

with the aerodrome zoning regulations.

An aerodrome without an AZR is a non-SMS aerodrome

since the operator does not have control of approach

and departure obstacles. A PIC of an aircraft on an IMCapproach in clouds down to 200 feet or lower, is unable

to determine if the approach is suitable with obstacle

clearance unless an aerodrome has their AZR in place to

control obstacles beyond the aerodrome fence.

Aerodrome zoning regulations are typically implemented

at the federal level but may also be implemented at the

municipal level. The regulations may vary between

different provinces and territories, and even among

municipalities within the same province.

Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS): Aerodromes

establish obstacle limitation surfaces around runways

and other critical areas. These surfaces define the

maximum height of structures and objects to ensure safe

takeoffs and landings.

Land Use Planning: Zoning regulations often dictate the

types of land uses permitted in areas surrounding

aerodromes. Residential, commercial, and industrial

developments may be subject to different restrictions

to prevent incompatible land uses.

Noise Regulations: Some areas may have noise

regulations to address concerns related to aerodrome

operations. These regulations may impact the types of

activities allowed in proximity to the aerodrome.

Building Height Restrictions: Restrictions on the

height of structures are common to prevent obstacles

that could interfere with aircraft movements. These

restrictions are typically based on the OLS and other

safety considerations.Aviation Easements: Property owners near aerodromes may be required to grant aviation easements to ensure

unobstructed flight paths. These easements may limit

the use of the land to prevent the construction of tall

structures.

Environmental Considerations: Regulations may address

environmental impacts associated with aerodrome

activities, including issues such as wildlife

management, air quality, and water protection.

An SMS aerodrome

must maintain

airside line of

sight to each

threshold and

approach end. At

aerodromes with

cross runways,

aerodrome terminals

and hangars my be

build and obstruct

pilots’ view. When

the view to an approach and threshold is obstructed by

a building, the pilot is unable to ensure that there is

no likelihood of collision with another aircraft or a

vehicle. It was not very long ago that a runway

incursion occurred when one aircraft departed while

another aircraft landed on the cross runway. Practices

such as Land and Hold Short (LAHSO) is incompatible

with an SMS aerodrome.

Airside line of sight refers to the unobstructed visual

field or line of sight in areas that are part of

airside operations. The airside of an aerodrome refersto the area that is inside the aerodrome fence, and

includes runways, taxiways, aprons, and other areas

where aircraft operate.

Maintaining a clear line of sight is crucial in airside

operations to ensure the safety and efficiency of

aircraft and vehicle movements. Pilots, air traffic

controllers, ground crew, and other personnel need to

have unobstructed visibility to monitor and coordinate

the movement of aircraft on the ground. Any obstacles

or obstructions that impede the line of sight can pose

safety risks and may lead to accidents or incidents.

An operator of an SMS aerodrome takes into account

their SMS policy and its requirements in addition to

regulations and standards. Since regulations and

standards are performance based, the intent, or process

output, of regulations and standard becomes the

governing compliance factors.

A major change with the aerodrome SMS regulations was

for aerodrome operators to accept responsibility and

accountability by initiate corrective actions. They

were also required to comply with the intent of their

SMS polity, intent of performance-based regulations,

and intent of performance-based standards. Performance-

based regulations and standards are based on a 95%

confidence level. Moving from prescriptive to

performance-based regulations is a major safety-culture

change.

OffRoadPilots