Safety Management

Welcome to the Safety Management Website

This web site is a resource for States to obtain information about ICAO efforts in the area of Safety Management. ICAO is developing a proposal for the harmonization of provisions relating to safety management in Annexes 1, 6, 11,13 and 14. The purpose for harmonizing these Annex provisions is to support their uniform application as well as to facilitate auditing by the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP). Additionally, ICAO has developed the second edition of the Safety Management Manual (see Publications page) to provide guidance to supplement the material in the Annexes. The provisions in the Annexes and the Safety Management Manual will support the ICAO Strategic Safety Objective A2 Support the implementation of safety management systems across all safety-related disciplines in States.

The term “safety management” conveys the notion that managing safety is a managerial process that must be considered at the same level and along the same lines as any other managerial processes. In order to reinforce the notion of safety management being a managerial process, the proposal includes a provision for an organization to establish lines of safety accountability throughout the organization, as well as at the senior management level. The term “safety management,” as used by ICAO, includes two key concepts. First, the concept of a State Safety Programme (SSP), which is an integrated set of regulations and activities aimed at improving safety. Second, the concept of Safety Management Systems (SMS) which is a systematic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organizational structures, accountabilities, policies and procedures.

States are required to establish a State Safety Programme (SSP) and, service providers, such as, approved training organizations that are exposed to safety risks during the provision of their services, aircraft operators, approved maintenance organizations, organizations responsible for design and/or manufacture of aircraft, air traffic services providers and certified aerodromes are responsible for establishing an SMS. States are responsible, under the SSP, for the acceptance and oversight of service providers’ SMS.

Details about the State Safety Programme (SSP) and Safety Management Systems (SMS) are contained in the Safety Management Manual and on the publications page of this web site.

For more information contact:
Integrated Safety Management Section
Email: ism@icao.int