Proposed regulations to improve aviation safety
Jul 9, 2007, 3:56 pm
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Proposed regulations to improve aviation safety
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/a.../09/c4757.html
OTTAWA, July 9 /CNW Telbec/ - The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of
Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced proposed regulatory
amendments to increase accountability in the aviation sector through the
implementation of safety management systems by airports and organizations
providing air traffic services.
"Canada's New Government believes that making industry more accountable
adds an additional layer of safety," said Minister Cannon. "These proposed
amendments build on the regulations that have been in place since 2005 for air
operators."
The proposed amendments to the Canadian Aviation Regulations require
airports and organizations providing air traffic services to implement safety
management systems in their organizations and appoint executives who are
accountable for safety. These systems will make organizations more accountable
for day-to-day operations while allowing flexibility to determine the most
effective means of improving safety performance.
Each system is based on an operator's in-depth knowledge of the company
and integrates safety into policies, management and employee practices, as
well as operating procedures throughout the organization. As each organization
integrates safety into daily operations, management and employees can
continuously work to identify and overcome potential safety hazards that could
cause accidents.
"The purpose of implementing safety management systems is not only to
increase industry accountability, but to instill a consistent and positive
safety culture and help improve the safety performance of operators," added
Minister Cannon. "This approach represents a systematic, explicit and
comprehensive process for managing hazards to safety."
Canada is among world leaders in safety management systems. The
amendments build on the work of leading safety experts and international
bodies and demonstrate the need for attention to aviation safety at an
organizational level, including emphasizing the importance of working with
industry to achieve a higher level of safety. These measures ensure that not
only are problems, hazards, incidents and accidents reported, but also that
the associated risks are analyzed, and appropriate action is taken.
The amendments to the Canadian Aviation Regulations were published in the
Canada Gazette, Part I on July 7, 2007. A 30-day response period follows,
during which time interested parties are invited to comment on the proposed
amendments.
For more information on safety management systems, please visit the Civil
Aviation website at www.tc.gc.ca./CivilAviation/SMS/menu.htm. A backgrounder
with further information is also attached.
<<
Backgrounder
------------
------------
SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
-------------------------
In 1999, Transport Canada committed to the implementation of safety
management systems in aviation organizations. Safety management systems are
methods a company can use to integrate safety throughout its organization.
They are based on the operator's in-depth knowledge of its organization and
integrate safety into policies, management and employee practices and
procedures. As each organization integrates safety into daily operations,
management and employees can continuously work to identify and overcome
potential safety hazards.
To be effective, these systems require strong commitment from all levels
of an organization, including senior management, to continually improve safety
standards.
Currently, safety is the responsibility of a safety officer who reports to
management but who is ultimately not accountable for safety performance. The
amendments require aviation organizations to appoint executives who are
accountable for safety and implementing safety management systems. These
executives would impose, implement, lead and manage new policies and be
directly accountable for the safety performance of their operations.
Currently, Transport Canada is active at the operational level with audits
and inspections of actual activities. With the introduction of safety
management systems, the focus will be at the systems level. This means that
inspectors will assess the effectiveness of safety management systems within
an organization. Therefore, safety management systems add a layer of safety
and enhance the work Transport Canada continues to do through its oversight
program of inspections and audits.
Transport Canada will continue to develop, implement, and enforce safety
standards and regulations under the Canadian Aviation Regulations. The
department has a comprehensive safety oversight program consisting of
certification, licensing, inspections, audits, education and awareness, as
well as enforcement activities to monitor compliance with Canadian safety
regulations. Within this safety oversight program, the department uses
risk-threat analysis to adjust its priorities and continuously refocuses its
resources to protect the travelling public.
Aviation organizations that have already begun implementing these systems
have had positive results. The broader implementation of safety management
systems by aviation organizations is part of an effort to reduce the already
low aircraft accident rate in Canada.
For more information on safety management systems, please visit the Civil
Aviation website at www.tc.gc.ca./CivilAviation/SMS/menu.htm.
July 2007
>>
OTTAWA, July 9 /CNW Telbec/ - The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of
Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced proposed regulatory
amendments to increase accountability in the aviation sector through the
implementation of safety management systems by airports and organizations
providing air traffic services.
"Canada's New Government believes that making industry more accountable
adds an additional layer of safety," said Minister Cannon. "These proposed
amendments build on the regulations that have been in place since 2005 for air
operators."
The proposed amendments to the Canadian Aviation Regulations require
airports and organizations providing air traffic services to implement safety
management systems in their organizations and appoint executives who are
accountable for safety. These systems will make organizations more accountable
for day-to-day operations while allowing flexibility to determine the most
effective means of improving safety performance.
Each system is based on an operator's in-depth knowledge of the company
and integrates safety into policies, management and employee practices, as
well as operating procedures throughout the organization. As each organization
integrates safety into daily operations, management and employees can
continuously work to identify and overcome potential safety hazards that could
cause accidents.
"The purpose of implementing safety management systems is not only to
increase industry accountability, but to instill a consistent and positive
safety culture and help improve the safety performance of operators," added
Minister Cannon. "This approach represents a systematic, explicit and
comprehensive process for managing hazards to safety."
Canada is among world leaders in safety management systems. The
amendments build on the work of leading safety experts and international
bodies and demonstrate the need for attention to aviation safety at an
organizational level, including emphasizing the importance of working with
industry to achieve a higher level of safety. These measures ensure that not
only are problems, hazards, incidents and accidents reported, but also that
the associated risks are analyzed, and appropriate action is taken.
The amendments to the Canadian Aviation Regulations were published in the
Canada Gazette, Part I on July 7, 2007. A 30-day response period follows,
during which time interested parties are invited to comment on the proposed
amendments.
For more information on safety management systems, please visit the Civil
Aviation website at www.tc.gc.ca./CivilAviation/SMS/menu.htm. A backgrounder
with further information is also attached.
<<
Backgrounder
------------
------------
SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
-------------------------
In 1999, Transport Canada committed to the implementation of safety
management systems in aviation organizations. Safety management systems are
methods a company can use to integrate safety throughout its organization.
They are based on the operator's in-depth knowledge of its organization and
integrate safety into policies, management and employee practices and
procedures. As each organization integrates safety into daily operations,
management and employees can continuously work to identify and overcome
potential safety hazards.
To be effective, these systems require strong commitment from all levels
of an organization, including senior management, to continually improve safety
standards.
Currently, safety is the responsibility of a safety officer who reports to
management but who is ultimately not accountable for safety performance. The
amendments require aviation organizations to appoint executives who are
accountable for safety and implementing safety management systems. These
executives would impose, implement, lead and manage new policies and be
directly accountable for the safety performance of their operations.
Currently, Transport Canada is active at the operational level with audits
and inspections of actual activities. With the introduction of safety
management systems, the focus will be at the systems level. This means that
inspectors will assess the effectiveness of safety management systems within
an organization. Therefore, safety management systems add a layer of safety
and enhance the work Transport Canada continues to do through its oversight
program of inspections and audits.
Transport Canada will continue to develop, implement, and enforce safety
standards and regulations under the Canadian Aviation Regulations. The
department has a comprehensive safety oversight program consisting of
certification, licensing, inspections, audits, education and awareness, as
well as enforcement activities to monitor compliance with Canadian safety
regulations. Within this safety oversight program, the department uses
risk-threat analysis to adjust its priorities and continuously refocuses its
resources to protect the travelling public.
Aviation organizations that have already begun implementing these systems
have had positive results. The broader implementation of safety management
systems by aviation organizations is part of an effort to reduce the already
low aircraft accident rate in Canada.
For more information on safety management systems, please visit the Civil
Aviation website at www.tc.gc.ca./CivilAviation/SMS/menu.htm.
July 2007
>>
Jan 16, 2008, 7:47 am
#3
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`Wall of secrecy' alleged over air safety reports
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/294467
OTTAWA–Transport Canada has put up a "wall of secrecy" around reports of air safety problems, a blow to accountability that will undermine public faith in Canada's airline industry, advocates warn.
A controversial change to the regulation of Canadian airlines contains a blanket ban on the release of air safety incidents reported by airline and airport employees.
The Canadian Newspaper Association and the Canadian Union of Public Employees are raising the alarm, saying air travellers will be left in the dark about safety concerns.
OTTAWA–Transport Canada has put up a "wall of secrecy" around reports of air safety problems, a blow to accountability that will undermine public faith in Canada's airline industry, advocates warn.
A controversial change to the regulation of Canadian airlines contains a blanket ban on the release of air safety incidents reported by airline and airport employees.
The Canadian Newspaper Association and the Canadian Union of Public Employees are raising the alarm, saying air travellers will be left in the dark about safety concerns.
Jan 16, 2008, 8:53 am
#4
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Prayers are cheaper, I suppose?
May 7, 2008, 8:00 am
#5
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An update:
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/422384
Transport Canada's dramatic move to let the aviation industry police its own safety has been made with no assessment of the risks involved, Auditor General Sheila Fraser says.
Federal bureaucrats have failed to examine the potential consequences before pushing ahead with the controversial change to let individual aviation firms – not federal inspectors – oversee the safety of their operations, Fraser said in a report yesterday.
She said it was impossible to say whether the changes could mean trouble for airline passengers.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/422384
Transport Canada's dramatic move to let the aviation industry police its own safety has been made with no assessment of the risks involved, Auditor General Sheila Fraser says.
Federal bureaucrats have failed to examine the potential consequences before pushing ahead with the controversial change to let individual aviation firms – not federal inspectors – oversee the safety of their operations, Fraser said in a report yesterday.
She said it was impossible to say whether the changes could mean trouble for airline passengers.
May 7, 2008, 11:35 am
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http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/En...3_e_30699.html
Transport Canada is the first civil aviation authority to have regulations for safety management systems
3.16 Transport Canada is the first civil aviation authority in the world to put in place regulations requiring aviation companies to implement safety management systems. Given the lack of precedents in other countries for the new regulatory framework, the Department had to develop its own approach for SMS implementation.
Planning was done for the transition but did not cover some key elements
3.17 Transport Canada developed a timetable that determined the order in which the various sectors of the aviation industry would be required to implement SMS. The Department also prepared several documents that explained the components of SMS and its impact on aviation companies. In addition, the Department conducted pilot projects with airlines and small operators to test how implementation would work. Based on these pilot projects, Transport Canada determined that a phased-in approach to implementation was needed.
3.18 The Department told each region to structure itself appropriately to undertake SMS-related activities and to appoint regional SMS coordinators to be responsible for coordinating these activities. A communications plan was developed, and senior executives visited each region to make presentations on the new approach.
3.19 However, the Department did not document risks, such as the impact of the transition process on oversight of air transportation safety, or prepare mitigating actions. It also did not forecast overall expected costs for the transition. Although a communications plan was prepared, the plan was not evaluated and adjusted regularly over the course of the transition. The Department did not explain how the day to-day work of inspectors would change as SMS-related activities were integrated with traditional oversight activities. It also did not explain the connection between the transition to SMS and the delegation to industry of checks of company pilots, an activity requiring specialized qualifications. Inspectors were told during their SMS training that the transition to SMS involved a shift from specialized and technically trained inspectors to systems auditors and analysts. In 2007, the Department found it necessary to clarify that it would still need inspectors with specialized skills.
3.20 Recommendation. For the introduction of safety management systems in other sectors of the aviation industry, Transport Canada should prepare a project plan that documents risks to the Department, mitigating actions, and expected costs, and provides a timetable for evaluating and adjusting communications efforts.
Transport Canada's response. The Department agrees. The Department intends to enhance the existing safety management systems (SMS) transition plan to include an assessment of the risks and mitigating actions and the expected costs and resource requirements. The communications plan, which is currently an integral part of the existing SMS plan, will be improved with the addition of a timetable for evaluating and adjusting communications efforts.
Transport Canada is the first civil aviation authority to have regulations for safety management systems
3.16 Transport Canada is the first civil aviation authority in the world to put in place regulations requiring aviation companies to implement safety management systems. Given the lack of precedents in other countries for the new regulatory framework, the Department had to develop its own approach for SMS implementation.
Planning was done for the transition but did not cover some key elements
3.17 Transport Canada developed a timetable that determined the order in which the various sectors of the aviation industry would be required to implement SMS. The Department also prepared several documents that explained the components of SMS and its impact on aviation companies. In addition, the Department conducted pilot projects with airlines and small operators to test how implementation would work. Based on these pilot projects, Transport Canada determined that a phased-in approach to implementation was needed.
3.18 The Department told each region to structure itself appropriately to undertake SMS-related activities and to appoint regional SMS coordinators to be responsible for coordinating these activities. A communications plan was developed, and senior executives visited each region to make presentations on the new approach.
3.19 However, the Department did not document risks, such as the impact of the transition process on oversight of air transportation safety, or prepare mitigating actions. It also did not forecast overall expected costs for the transition. Although a communications plan was prepared, the plan was not evaluated and adjusted regularly over the course of the transition. The Department did not explain how the day to-day work of inspectors would change as SMS-related activities were integrated with traditional oversight activities. It also did not explain the connection between the transition to SMS and the delegation to industry of checks of company pilots, an activity requiring specialized qualifications. Inspectors were told during their SMS training that the transition to SMS involved a shift from specialized and technically trained inspectors to systems auditors and analysts. In 2007, the Department found it necessary to clarify that it would still need inspectors with specialized skills.
3.20 Recommendation. For the introduction of safety management systems in other sectors of the aviation industry, Transport Canada should prepare a project plan that documents risks to the Department, mitigating actions, and expected costs, and provides a timetable for evaluating and adjusting communications efforts.
Transport Canada's response. The Department agrees. The Department intends to enhance the existing safety management systems (SMS) transition plan to include an assessment of the risks and mitigating actions and the expected costs and resource requirements. The communications plan, which is currently an integral part of the existing SMS plan, will be improved with the addition of a timetable for evaluating and adjusting communications efforts.
Sep 2, 2008, 6:43 am
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Critics slam changes to aircraft safety inspection system
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/...ies-mckie.html
Transport Canada's man in charge of aviation safety doesn't like the term SMS, referring to it as a "buzzword." But Merlin Preuss has nevertheless spent a fair bit of time recently defending the concept, which he says will lead to a more accountable aviation industry — and safer skies. Critics such as retired justice Virgil Moshansky, on the other hand, argue that Transport Canada's Safety Management Systems allows the industry to police itself, which is akin to "putting the fox in charge of the hen house."
So as we move into an era of deregulation for many major industries, who are Canadians to believe?
Transport Canada's man in charge of aviation safety doesn't like the term SMS, referring to it as a "buzzword." But Merlin Preuss has nevertheless spent a fair bit of time recently defending the concept, which he says will lead to a more accountable aviation industry — and safer skies. Critics such as retired justice Virgil Moshansky, on the other hand, argue that Transport Canada's Safety Management Systems allows the industry to police itself, which is akin to "putting the fox in charge of the hen house."
So as we move into an era of deregulation for many major industries, who are Canadians to believe?
Sep 2, 2008, 7:25 pm
#10
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standard right wing stuff
this is pretty standard right wing gutting of anything that keeps our airlines, water, meat etc. safe. Eric Schlosser has a great book (Fast Food Nation) that explain how Harper's soul mates in the south have screwed up that nations food safety mechanisms.
Harris in Ontario did it to water safety .. and apparently cost cutting airlines will now make safety priority number 1. no sir, no cutting corners here .. honest, Mr Harper. trust us.
Harris in Ontario did it to water safety .. and apparently cost cutting airlines will now make safety priority number 1. no sir, no cutting corners here .. honest, Mr Harper. trust us.
Sep 3, 2008, 12:50 am
#11
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Sometimes government regulation goes overboard (here in toronto trying to get anything more than hot dogs on a street corner being an example.) and sometimes I want more government regulation (recent listeria outbreak), in aviation I definitely want more. Cost cutting in the airline industry isn't something I'm comfortable with, a previous carrier here in Canada comes to mind.
Sep 3, 2008, 2:41 am
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Oh come on LJ, just because JetsGo had a few noteable incidents... (running out of gas LITERALLY, running over a few runway edge lights in Calgary). Personally I'd rather have lower fares than pay an extra $5/flight or even $1/flight to change something like cargo smoke detectors because of ValuJet crashing into the everglades.
Sure things are safer now because of the new cargo hold smoke and fire suppression systems, but the end result of ValuJet stays the same. If they had not loaded cargo that was forbidden on PAX aircraft the incident wouldn't have happened.
Sure things are safer now because of the new cargo hold smoke and fire suppression systems, but the end result of ValuJet stays the same. If they had not loaded cargo that was forbidden on PAX aircraft the incident wouldn't have happened.
Sep 3, 2008, 8:20 am
#13
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business will do anything everything possible to maximise revenues/profits (and they should . .thats what they're there for). the banking and risk rating industry are fine examples of this, despite all the supposed regulation in those industries.
Govt should do everything possible to make sure above dont harm the public. thats what the govt/regulators are there for. when you leave oversight to the industry, you're asking for trouble.
Govt should do everything possible to make sure above dont harm the public. thats what the govt/regulators are there for. when you leave oversight to the industry, you're asking for trouble.
Apr 23, 2009, 2:03 am
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http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/ai...559/story.html
OTTAWA — Transport Canada pilots charged with inspecting the safety practices of airline operators said on Wednesday that Canada is no longer meeting international aviation standards because the government has downloaded responsibility for safety oversight to airlines.
Greg Holbrook, chairman of the federal pilots association, made the assessment when he got behind a call from the New Democrats for an investigation into Transport Canada's implementation of its new inspection model called Safety Management System (SMS).
OTTAWA — Transport Canada pilots charged with inspecting the safety practices of airline operators said on Wednesday that Canada is no longer meeting international aviation standards because the government has downloaded responsibility for safety oversight to airlines.
Greg Holbrook, chairman of the federal pilots association, made the assessment when he got behind a call from the New Democrats for an investigation into Transport Canada's implementation of its new inspection model called Safety Management System (SMS).
Aug 25, 2009, 9:32 am
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Heard on a CBC Victoria interview that Virgil Moshansky, the man who headed the judicial inquiry into the Air Ontario crash at Dryden 20 years ago, has come out against unoverwatched SMS. Part of his position rests on the fact that there's no "whistle blower" protection in Canada and that any mechanic or maintenance worker who brings up a safety issue will be fired as happened to 4 Jazz mechanics. His position is that SMS should be an added layer of safety and oversight to the current inspection regime, not one to replace government regulatory oversight.