POLICY + CERT
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Air transportation is the safest form of travel today, largely due to the rigorous implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS). Since 2013, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has mandated that aviation service providers implement SMS to manage safety risks.
However, implementing SMS without interfaces presents limitations. SMS without interfaces can lead to siloed information, where safety data is not effectively communicated across different aviation stakeholders, hindering the coordinated approach necessary for comprehensive safety management.
The Challenges of SMS Without Interfaces
SMS is a systematic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organizational structures, accountability, responsibilities, policies, and procedures. While SMS provides a framework to identify and control risks and evaluate an organization’s safety management capability, the absence of interfaces between different SMS can limit its effectiveness.
Without interfaces, different management systems within an organization or SMS across various aviation service providers, such as commercial operators and aircraft manufacturers, operate in isolation. This isolation can impede information sharing, which is crucial for identifying systemic safety trends and contributing factors. The lack of integration can impede an organization’s ability to take a holistic view of safety, making it harder to detect and address hazards proactively.
How Merlin is Approaching SMS
Safety is our number one priority at Merlin. Our team is developing SMS interfaces that connect the SMS implemented by the design and manufacturing organization with those implemented by the operators of aircraft in which Merlin’s technology is installed. By developing interfaces between all relevant elements of the ICAO SMS framework, Merlin is establishing a scalable approach that can be leveraged by future service providers adopting, operating, maintaining, or training people to use its technologies.
To fully leverage the benefits of implementing SMS, there is the need for a more interconnected approach to safety management in aviation. At Merlin, we believe that interfacing SMS is crucial for enabling a proactive and predictive approach to managing risks across operations.
For a deeper dive into how SMS interfaces can enhance aviation safety, check out this article written by Merlin’s Senior Director of Regulatory Operations John Illson and Senior Policy Analyst Sophie Jantz, published in May 2024.