You have an approved SMS Implementation Plan, but now what?
New course dates.
ASMS is pleased to announce two more dates for our popular 2 day practical SMS course. Extensive use is made of case studies and practical exercises to demonstrate how an effective SMS can work in practice.
You will benefit from experience gained implementing SMS for multiple Group 1 organisations, with trainers that also understand the constraints faced by small organisations.
Previous attendees have commented:
"Well worth attending. Some excellent stuff to get our process rolling."
"Great course, instruction was on point."
Audience
This course is intended for Chief Executives, Safety Systems Managers, and other staff involved with implementing and utilising SMS.
| Date: |
20-21 May 2019 |
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24-25 July 2019 |
| Location: |
Ardmore Airport, Auckland |
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Ardmore Airport, Auckland |
| Registration link: |
(register) |
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(register) |
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| Cost: | $1,500+GST |
Places are limited, book now to reserve your place.
ASMS is pleased to announce that our SMS course, SMS in Practice, has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority and added to our Aviation Training Organisation Schedule of Conditions.
Our next SMS course is on 4 and 5 March 2019. Make the commitment to obtain your CAA-approved SMS training and register today.
You have an approved SMS Implementation Plan, but now what?
Updated 26/10/2018: First 2019 course date now available.
ASMS is pleased to announce a 2 day practical SMS course. Extensive use is made of case studies and practical exercises to demonstrate how an effective SMS can work in practice.
You will benefit from experience gained implementing SMS for multiple Group 1 organisations, with trainers that also understand the constraints faced by small organisations.
Audience
This course is intended for Chief Executives, Safety Systems Managers, and other staff involved with implementing and utilising SMS.
| Date: |
15-16 November 2018 |
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4-5 March 2019 |
| Location: |
Dunedin |
|
Ardmore Airport, Auckland |
| Registration link: |
(register) |
|
(register) |
| |
| Cost: | $1,500+GST |
Places are limited, book now to reserve your place.
 Table of suggested allowable senior person combinations. See page 6 of the ASMS submission for details. On 8 May 2015 the CAA issued Notice of Proposed Rule Making NPRM 15-02 Part 100 Safety Management together with draft advisory circular AC100-1 Safety Management. The proposed new Rule Part 100 provides a basic outline of the requirements for a Safety Management System (SMS), with most of the detail provided in the supporting advisory circular. Consequential changes to most certification rules would see almost all certificated operators required to implement an SMS within three years.
Aviation Safety Management Systems Ltd (ASMS) supports the proposed rule. Our submission covers a range of topics intended to contribute to both improvement of the proposed rule and advisory circular, and contribute to a better understanding of the role of SMS.
There is some confusion over the extent to which employment health and safety legislation addresses risks to the safety of persons other than employees (i.e. passengers, visitors, and members of the public). Our submission demonstrates that New Zealand employment health and safety legislation includes these risks, and employers have been prosecuted for not meeting their obligations to ensure the safety of people who are not employees.
We briefly discuss SMS in other (non-aviation) sectors, including the regulations applying to Adventure Activities, and the ACC Workplace Safety Management Practices (WSMP) programme. While WSMP accreditation could not be a replacement for CAA’s own surveillance, it could be used as a significant risk indicator within CAA’s risk-based regulation framework, providing a positive indicator of reduced risk.
An important implementation issue is the question of who should hold the role of Safety Manager). We examine this question for 6 operators that we are associated with, focussing on what senior personnel are best placed to perform the role and noting that quality assurance is included within the Safety Manager role. We recommend that the position of senior person responsible for quality assurance is reinstated, and that the draft advisory circular be revised to indicate how the various roles of Chief Executive, Operations Manager, Safety Manager, Occurrence Investigation, and Quality Assurance can (and cannot) be combined.
We also provide a number of comments on the draft advisory circular. We note that setting safety goals is often extremely difficult, and recommend providing additional guidance on this point. We also comment on the interface with other management systems and suggest that fatigue risk management is no different to managing the risk of alcohol and drugs, and neither these areas nor health and safety generally should be seen as separate from SMS. Viewing each of these areas as separate creates a risk of fragmentation of systems and reduced effectiveness in addressing the relevant hazards.
Every business in New Zealand that pays salary or wages of any kind must pay Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) levies. ASMS/Enduro can help you reduce your ACC levies through effective preparation for an ACC audit.
ACC offers two programmes that can help companies reduce their ACC levies:
- The Workplace Safety Management Practices (WSMP) programme offers discounts of 10%, 15%, or 20% for employers that meet the requirements of the WSMP audit standard. Once approved the discount applies for 24 months.
- The Workplace Safety Discount (WSD) programme provides a 10% discount on ACC work cover levies for small businesses with 10 or less employees. Once approved the discount applies for three years.
Both programmes are focussed on the presence of effective health and safety management systems and practices.
To obtain the reduction in levies you must complete a self-assessment, apply to ACC, and select either an ACC internal auditor (free of charge) or an approved external auditor (costs paid by the applicant). The “catch” is that once you have had an audit, you cannot reapply for another 12 months. If you fail the audit the first time around you have to wait the full 12 months even if it only takes only 6 weeks to correct the deficiencies.
ASMS/Enduro Safety personnel can conduct a pre-audit for you, identifying any shortfalls in your current systems and providing recommendations on the changes required. We can work with you to make the changes, prepare the ACC self-assessment, and prepare the evidence folder for the ACC audit. The application can then be lodged with ACC and a free ACC audit obtained.
To enquire about obtaining an ACC pre-audit, or other information on our services, please contact us.
ASMS is pleased to announce that it has completed an SMS Gap Analysis for an aviation operator certificated under Part 119 of New Zealand's Civil Aviation Rules.
The purpose of a Gap Analysis is to identify the "gaps" between an ideal standard and actual performance. As such, the gap analysis identifies the areas where improvement is required to meet the standard.
ASMS' methodology assesses an organisation's exposition and performance against four standards:
- AS/NZS 4801:2001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
- AC00-4: Safety Management Systems, 19 December 2012
- SMS elements in ICAO, Safety Management Manual (SMM),Doc 9859
- Health and Safety and Employment Act 1992 (HSE Act)
This methodology is suitable for application to all organisations in both the aviation industry and outside of aviation.
At the completion of an audit we prepare an audit report which includes our assessment of the level of compliance with each of the audit standards and recommendations for addressing an short comings identified.
 Photo courtesy of Strikemaster Ltd Aviation Safety Management Systems (ASMS) congratulates Strikemaster Ltd as the recipient of this year's CAA Director's Award for an Organisation.
The July/August 2013 issue of CAA's Vector magazine reports:
Owner and operator, Brett Nicholls, said the award was an honour for his operation and people. "I am surprised, shocked, and stunned by our award but it reflects on our capable and very professional flight crew, a great aircraft, and high levels of safety management. We want to make this jet flight a safe and enjoyable experience for our passengers.
"We have embraced Part 115 and we can now provide a sustainable adventure aviation operation into the future," said Brett.
[Director of Civil Aviation] Graeme Harris commended Strikemaster for their constructive, professional work in gaining operator certification under Part 115.
"It is clear that this operator is very focussed on risk management and committed to high levels of safety in their adventure aviation business," Graeme said.
Strikemaster Ltd's Part 115 exposition was written by ASMS, and Safety Management Systems are an integral component of all the systems that we deliver. We continue to be involved with ongoing quality assurance and providing advice to management, both for Strikemaster and our other clients. Our aim is to provide operators in all industries with systems that support excellence in safety and service provision.
In a submission to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Aviation Safety Management Systems Ltd (ASMS) say that Safety Management Systems are already mandatory under the Health & Safety in Employment Act (HSE Act). Paraphrasing the Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy, ASMS say that “the HSE Act requires CAA to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the act is being complied with. This can only be achieved by mandatory implementation of SMS.” ASMS considers that the legal basis for mandatory SMS is already in place and that the CAA’s proposed changes might be able to be implemented by a simple change of policy.
At the end of May the CAA released a consultation document on whether mandatory risk management or safety management systems should be required for operators in New Zealand’s aviation industry. This consultation document was supported by a series of forums held around the country in early June.
ASMS recommends that the CAA should avoid trying to “reinvent the wheel”, and focus on the implementation of SMS that complies with Australian/New Zealand Standard 4801:2001 Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems (AS/NZS 4801:2001). ASMS states that this standard provides an excellent basis for the implementation and audit of SMS. “This standard can be applied to all industries, including high hazard industries of which aviation is just one example. AS/NZS 4801:2001 is endorsed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Institute of Directors as providing the guidelines for an effective safety management system. It has also been recognised by the New Zealand Defence Force as the appropriate framework for safety management, and it is the basis for the ACC’s audit standard.”
ASMS also recommends that mandatory SMS should be extended to the Adventure Aviation sector, which includes activities such as tandem parachutes and hot air ballooning. Regulation under Part 115 brought the Adventure Aviation sector up to the same standard as other sectors of general aviation. However, like the rest of aviation, Adventure Aviation should be subject to SMS. ASMS state “every other Adventure Tourism activity is subject to mandatory SMS and must be audited against the Safety Audit Standard for Adventure Activities published by MBIE. Adventure Aviation was only granted an exemption from being covered by these regulations on the basis that CAA was about to pass CAR Part 115 and that Part 115 would provide the necessary safety management systems.”
ASMS’ submission is available here.
Enduro Safety is pleased to announce that it has issued a “clean bill of health” for the Management and Safety Plan for the inaugural UltrAspire Double Rainbow Trail Run, including 42km marathon, 24km, and 16km events. The Double Rainbow Trail Run is organised and managed by Lactic Turkey Events.
Enduro Safety audited the Management and Safety Plan against the draft audit standard issued under the Adventure Activity Regulations. The Double Rainbow Trail Run is not an adventure activity as defined in the Regulations, but by virtue of the event being held outdoors in wilderness and forest areas, the standard provides an appropriate basis for audit.
In all material respects the Plans conform with the draft audit standard. In particular, the Plans provides a very high standard of hazard identification and emergency preparedness. Procedures are in place for response to emergencies (including medical, fire, and search and rescue procedures for lost/missing participants), and for the reporting, management and review of incidents.
Heather and Andrew of Enduro Safety also said that they are looking forward to participating in the 16km event. Heather commented that she is looking forward to seeing the new event in operation, knowing that there is such a good plan in place.
 Heather Andrews runs past Lake Okareka
during the 2012 Vibram Tarawera Ultramarathon
Photo: Emma Andrews Enduro Safety is pleased to announce that it has issued a “clean bill of health” for the Management and Safety Plan for the 2013 Vibram Tarawera Ultramarathon.
Enduro Safety audited the Management and Safety Plan against the draft audit standard issued under the Adventure Activity Regulations. The ultramarathon is not an adventure activity as defined in the Regulations, but by virtue of the event being held outdoors in wilderness and forest areas, the standard provides an appropriate basis for audit.
The Management and Safety Plan conforms with the draft audit standard in all material respects. We further consider that the plan provides a very high standard of hazard identification and emergency preparedness, and that an excellent process of review has been demonstrated by the Race Director, Paul Charteris.
Enduro Safety also reviewed the Management and Safety Plan against the recommendations arising from the Inquiry into the 2011 Kimberley Ultramarathon disaster, conducted by the Parliament of Western Australia. In that event, a number of runners were severely burned after becoming trapped by fire in a narrow, rocky gorge during the race.
The emergency plan included in the Management and Safety Plan conforms to these recommendations and represents best practice for this type of event.
Charteris added, “The Kimberley tragedy has changed the game for ultra-endurance events. It’s not enough to just have a safety and management plan in place. An endurance event as physically testing as the Tarawera ultramarathon, which covers rugged terrain in inaccessible places, needs a massive support team of experienced professionals and pre-event testing of communications equipment.”
The Rotorua to Kawerau offroad run will take place on 16 March with 430 athletes from 20 countries taking part.
Andrew Shelley and Heather Andrews
Enduro Safety
About Enduro Safety
Enduro Safety ( http://www.asms.co.nz/enduro) conducts safety audits and advises clients on safety risk management in a wide range of industries. The Principals of Enduro Safety are Accredited Safety Auditors with the New Zealand Safety Council and are experienced ultramarathon runners.
About the Tarawera Ultramarathon
The Tarawera Ultramarathon ( http://www.taraweraultra.co.nz) is a 100km, 85km or 60km trail ultra-distance run from Rotorua to Kawerau, New Zealand. Along the way runners pass through exotic forestry, native bush, lakes, waterfalls, and follow the beautiful Tarawera River. Most of the run is on single-track trails or forestry roads. Runners can compete as a solo athlete or in a relay team.
CAA has been consulting on Draft Advisory Circular AC115-1 Adventure Aviation Operator Certification. Aviation Safety Management Systems Ltd (ASMS) has provided a submission in response to draft AC115-1 based on the experience we have gained with three initial certifications and multiple amendments. Our submission focusses on the organisational management system required, version control, contracting, and maintenance programmes.
ASMS submission can be downloaded here.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has restarted its stalled initiative on Safety Management Systems with the issue of draft Advisory Circular AC00-4 Safety Management Systems (Draft AC).
Without exception, every we have spoken to about the Draft AC found that it was extremely long, wordy, and difficult to understand.
We are concerned that the Draft AC does not include any consideration of the existing New Zealand legal and regulatory environment for safety. We are also concerned that the process implied by the Draft AC could take significant time and cost to implement (i.e. before revised Rules are signed). A much simpler and more cost-effective process is possible that utilises excellent material that CAA has already published. The alternative we suggest would be entirely consistent with existing legal obligations and would be relatively straightforward for operators to implement.
ASMS' response can be downloaded here.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is in the process of implementing new requirements for safety management systems for all operators. Safety Management Systems (SMS) are required to cover hazard identification, risk assessment and mitigation, safety monitoring, and ongoing training and communication about safety issues. Second tier operators must achieve full compliance by 2015 and third tier operators must achieve full compliance by 2016.
ASMS was originally formed to provide second- and third-tier operators in the aviation industry with expertise in the development of safety management systems (SMS). ASMS can also project manage certification to CAA standards, design training programmes, and project manage airshow safety, and design emergency procedures and other training.
ASMS is able to assist operators with all aspects of developing and implementing SMS:
Reviewing management procedures and recommending changes to comply with CAA requirements;
Working with relevant organisations to develop co-ordinated emergency response plans;
Conducting hazard identification and work place assessments;
Conducting emergency procedure days to test the implementation of safety plans developed;
Monitoring of systems designed;
Provide mediation services (between airport authorities, operators, and CAA);
Training the employees and employers;
Induction days for new employees;
Delivering and designing tailor-made assessments.
Our aim is to allow operators to continue their day-to-day operations with minimum disruption while progressively developing a safety system that is compliant with the CAA’s SMS requirements.
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