(November 2011) “Safety management system” — the very name sounds intimidating. I have to admit that I was not initially excited about the idea of a safety management system. I figured it was just another complicated set of rules, procedures and acronyms that would require a lot of time while not really accomplishing anything significant. My attitude changed earlier this year when I had an opportunity to attend a two-day workshop on safety management systems at the annual conference of the International Association of Missionary Aviation (iamanet.org).
Safety has always been an issue for missionary aviation, and the association is embracing safety management systems as a way to reduce accidents and enhance its members’ overall operating effectiveness.
