On this page …

• General
• SMS Standards & Required Attributes
• Internal FAA Guidance
• What Others Are Doing

General

• AC 150/5200-37, Introduction to Safety Management Systems for Airport Operators
• Airport Cooperative Research Program
  • ACRP Report 1, Safety Management Systems for Airports, Volume 1: Overview
    Describes the general benefits of SMS, the ICAO requirement, and how SMS could be used at airports in the United States.
  • ACRP Report 1, Safety Management Systems for Airports, Volume 2: Guidebook
    Examines SMS components and their interactions and offers guidance on planning, implementing, and operating an airport SMS.
  • ACRP Report 131: A Guidebook for Safety Risk Management for Airports
    Provides tools, examples, and guidance to help airports manage safety risks using the safety risk management (SRM)process. Also includes scalable features of the SRM processes so that it may be useful to smaller airports with limited resources.
  • ACRP Report 145: Applying an SMS Approach to Wildlife Hazard Management
    Introduces and guides the application of a risk-based approach to wildlife hazard management programs and outlines additional steps for integrating programs into an airport's SMS.
  • ACRP Synthesis 37: Lessons Learned from Airport Safety Management Systems Pilot Studies
    Provides airport operators with data and experience from SMS pilot study airports. The report addresses SMS pilot study program management; SMS components design, development, and deployment; and SMS challenges and benefits.
  • ACRP Synthesis 58: Safety Reporting Systems at Airports
    Describes safety reporting methods and systems for airports certificated under Part 139 by assessing current practices, processes, and systems used to collect and analyze safety data and information.
  • ACRP Synthesis 71: Airport Safety Risk Management Panel Activities and Outcomes
    Compiles information and tools that help Part 139 airports conduct Safety Risk Assessments (SRAs) effectively. This report enhances ACRP Report 131: A Guidebook for Safety Risk Management for Airports. The appendices include several tools and templates, including a Quick Reference Guide and a template for the SRA briefing.
  • ACRP Legal Research Digest 19: Legal Issues Related to Developing Safety Management Systems and Safety Risk Management at U.S. Airports
    Explores the basics of SMS; discusses the concept of a "just culture," highlights efforts to implement SMS at airports and in other industries, examines theories under which SMS could lead to increased liability for airports, and provides a review of select state sunshine laws and the federal Freedom of Information Act. Also discusses certain available means of protecting SMS data from disclosure or discovery and suggests potential strategies for managing legal issues that may arise due to implementation of SMS.
  • ACRP Synthesis 58, Safety Reporting Systems at Airports
    Describes safety reporting methods and systems for airports certificated under Part 139 by assessing current practices, processes, and systems used to collect and analyze safety data and information.
• Nuclear Regulatory Agency's Fault Tree Handbook (NUREG-0492) (see Chapter 1)
  Describes system safety in terms of everyday decision-making. Helps managers gain a better understanding of how systems safety can help achieve core missions. Sets the foundation for structuring the SMS to address both broad-ranging system issues and specific subsystem issues.
• Report on Airport Safety Management System (SMS) Pilot Studies (PDF)
  Documents lessons learned from the FAA SMS pilot studies and the experiences of participating airports.
• Unlocking the Potential of a Safety Management System (PDF)
  Taken from Flight Safety Foundation Digest, November-December 2005.

SMS Standards & Required Attributes

• ICAO Safety Management Website
  Discusses ICAO requirements and audit programs and provides access to SMS course materials and related publications.
  • ICAO Safety Management Manual (4th Edition) (PDF)

Internal FAA Guidance

• FAA Order 5200.11, FAA Airports (ARP) Safety Management System
  Provides the basis for implementing SMS within the FAA Airports line of business.
  • Office of Airports SMS Desk Reference ver. 2.0 (2023)
• FAA Order 8000.369, Safety Management System Guidance
  Provides guidance for setting up common safety management systems within the Agency.
• FAA Order 8040.4, Safety Risk Management
• FAA Safety Managment System Initiative
  • Specifics by Aviation Industry Type

What Others Are Doing

• 14 CFR Part 5, Safety Management Systems
• AC 120-92, Safety Management Systems for Aviation Service Providers
• Air Traffic Organization Safety Management System Manual (SMS) (December 2022)
• AC 21-58, Safety Management Systems for Part 21 Type and Production Certificate Holders