A safety management system or SMS is a formal, top down, organization wide approach to managing safety risk and ensuring the effectiveness of safety risk controls. It includes procedures, practices and policies for the management of safety risk at all levels in an organization.

PAI can help you develop or improve your SMS.

A safety management system is built on four components:

• Safety policy,

• Safety risk management,

• Safety assurance, and

• Safety promotion.

An organization uses its safety policy to convey management's commitment to safety and assign safety accountabilities and responsibilities. The safety policy also sets objectives and standards for an organization and employees to meet.

In safety risk management, an organization determines what level of safety risk is acceptable for them through analysis of its systems and operating environment. They identify potential hazards in their operations and their associated risks and then develop controls to mitigate unacceptable risks to an acceptable level.

Through safety risk management, an organization systematically considers the risk in its operations.

In safety assurance, an organization continuously monitors its ongoing activities and reviews past events to ensure controls and mitigations are working and safety objectives are being met.

In safety promotion, an organization uses training and communication to ensure employees understand their role in safety and the safety policies and reporting procedures to promote a positive safety culture.

A safety management system does not have to be large or complex to add value to an organization. An effective SMS does require the active involvement of leadership, maintaining open lines of communication, looking for and identifying hazards and associated risks, and fostering a culture of safety.