1. Safety Management in Europe
ICAO Runway Safety and ATS Safety Management Seminar
Moscow, 14 September 2005
Dr. Erik Merckx
EUROCONTROL
Directorate ATM Programmes
Head of Business Division Safety Enhancement
European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation

2. EUROCONTROL Airspace
41 ECAC States

3. Traffic doubles by 2020 7.0 million flights 1997 8.0 million flights
2000
Traffic tripled over 25 years
11.1 million flights
16.0 million flights
2010
2020

4. Traffic is back and picking up fast

5. Global accident rates

6. Do we need to be worried Linate, 8 October 2001
Überlingen, 1 July 2002

7. Can the CEO or DG sleep at night ?
How does the CEO or DG of a ANSP know that :
The risk of an accident is as low as he wants it to be ( even if there has not been an accident for the last 25 years ) ?
The risk of a serious incident is as low as he wants it to be ?
He is being given the correct information about how safe his organisation is ?
His organisation is getting better or worse in terms of Safety ?
His organisation is performing well on Safety on the European scene ?

8. Can the CEO or DG sleep at night ?
How does the CEO or DG of a ANSP know that :
The Services given to the Airlines are safe
The Board and the Government are satisfied with the safety levels of his organisation
The Regulator is satisfied with the safety levels of his organisation

9. Can the CEO or DG sleep at night ?
A CEO or DG of a ANSP therefore needs :
A reliable information system on safety, the standards of which being as high as an accounting system
A system that covers all the work in his organisation that has an impact on safety
A system that he can fully trust
A system that allows him to make correct decisions for the future of safety in his organisation
Safety Management System

10. What is a Safety Management System
A structured and systematic way of working on safety, knowledge based, and with measurable outcome
Risk based : knowing, controlling and minimising risk
Needs an appropriate organisational structure with an independent safety management function
Requires commitment from the top, commitment from all operational and technical people, and a good safety culture

11. What is a Safety Management System ?
95 %

12. What is a Safety Management System ?
Safety Culture
Leadership
Commitment to resources
Balanced decisions
People Management
Willingness to learn
Willingness to share expertise

13. What is a Safety Management System
5 %

14. What is a Safety Management System
Methodology
Documentation
Regulatory Compliance
Traceability
Performance Indicators
Measuring Progress
Reviewing Processes
……….

15. Examples of processes with safety impact as part of a Safety Management System
Recruitment/
Selection
Procedures Operational Processes
Risk Assessment New Systems
Incident Reporting
Safety Surveys and Follow-up
Training
Risk Assessment New ATC Procedures
Incident Investigation
Interfaces ATS and CNS
Competency
Checks
Lessons Learnt
CNS Maintenance Procedures
Risk Assessment Airspace Changes
Refresher/
Advanced Training
Emergency Procedures
Risk Assessment Software Changes
All elements of the SMS described in policies, well documented, communicated, updated, data recorded
Covered in the EUROCONTROL Safety Regulatory Requirements (ESARRs)
Covered in new legislation of the European Union
Covered by ICAO

16. External elements to and link with an SMS
Co-ordination with neighbouring ACCs
Co-ordination with neighbouring countries
Suppliers of telecommunication, power, buildings, services, etc
Suppliers of equipment
Suppliers of software
Airports
Airlines
Military ……

17. Maturity of Formal Safety Framework in ECAC: ANSPs
70% Target

18. Maturity of Formal Safety Framework in ECAC: ANSPs
70% Target

19. Maturity of Formal Safety Framework in ECAC: REGs
70% Target

20. Maturity of Formal Safety Framework in ECAC: REGs
70% Target

21. What had to be improved
Fundamental elements of a national ATM safety framework not in place for a number of States :
Functional separation between Service Provider and Regulator not in place
National ATM Rule making and Regulatory Safety Oversight not in place
Major elements of a Safety Management System not in place:
Independent Safety Manager at the highest organisational level
Well agreed, understood and communicated Safety Policy
Well functional incident reporting system and dissemination of lessons learnt
Well functioning risk assessment of systems and system changes
A well documented and auditable set of procedures and practices
Others ….

22. What had to be improved
Major inhibitors for progress were identified as :
Leadership
Resources

23. What has helped to improve
The pressure from a European Strategic Safety Action Plan :
With buy in from stakeholders from the start onwards, through thorough consultation
Awareness campaigns
Monitored State by State and action by action
Follow up and progress results frequently presented
Highly visible as a result of ongoing publicity

24. What has helped to improve
Customised hands-on support to ANSPs at all levels :
Reduced effort in written guidance material but increased coaching, workshops and on the job training
Gap analysis and corresponding support State by State
Selling Safety from top to bottom in each organisation : from CEO’s to ATCO’s
Building confidence in the value of SMS
Effort is 95% on developing safety culture, 5% on methodology

25. What has helped to improve
Training for safety experts
Identification of training needs and corresponding development of new training packages for ANSP and Regulator
Local training as well as centralised training
Increased resources on training in the EUROCONTROL Agency
Selection of the right training tools (classroom, e-learning, … )

26. What has helped to improve
Pressure from and integration with European Single Sky legislation :
ESARRs covered in the SES
Certification for ANSPs based on “Common Requirements for ANSPs “
The interest of EUROCONTROL member states to become EU members
The EU as a strong regulatory body

27. Conclusions
The key to good Safety Management is about the genuine will, culture and intelligence of everyone in an organisation to continue to behave safely in all circumstances…,
… it is less about rules

28. Conclusions
The way to think about Safety Management is about asking oneself and the others time after time the same questions :
What is the risk ?
Can I take the risk ?
What are the consequences ?

29. Conclusions
The ultimate question, in case an accident happens is, is one about conscience and personal liability :
Have I done everything I could have done to avoid this accident ?