Federal Aviation Administration

Safety Management System Manual Federal Aviation Administration

The Safety Management System (SMS) is a formalized and proactive approach to system safety. It directly supports the mission of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is "to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world." The Air Traffic Organization (ATO) SMS is an integrated collection of principles, policies, processes, procedures, and programs used to identify, analyze, assess, manage, and monitor safety risk in the provision of air traffic management and communication, navigation, and surveillance services. This SMS Manual informs ATO employees and contractors about the goal of the ATO SMS, describes the interrelationship among the four components of the SMS, and instructs readers on the process of identifying safety hazards and mitigating risk in the National Airspace System (NAS). Use this document and its complements, such as the Safety Risk Management Guidance for System Acquisitions, ATO Safety Guidance documents, and other FAA safety documents, to carry out the safety mission of the FAA and requirements of the SMS.