Safety Management Systems Flashcards
7 cards from real ASI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Safety Management Systems flashcards as text
Under FAA Advisory Circular AC 120-92B, how many components make up an SMS framework?
Answer: Four
AC 120-92B defines four SMS components: Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance, and Safety Promotion.
A certificate holder's SMS reveals that front-line employees rarely report safety concerns due to fear of punishment. Which element needs immediate strengthening?
Answer: Non-punitive reporting culture
A non-punitive reporting environment is essential to SMS; without it, employees withhold safety information that could prevent accidents.
Which ICAO document provides the foundational international standards upon which FAA SMS regulations are based?
Answer: ICAO Annex 19
ICAO Annex 19 (Safety Management) consolidates all SMS-related standards and recommended practices for aviation service providers.
When assessing risk in an SMS, 'severity' refers to:
Answer: The worst credible consequence if a hazard results in an accident
Severity is one axis of a risk matrix and describes the potential worst-case outcome — injury, fatality, or damage — if the hazard materializes.
In an SMS safety case, what must be demonstrated to justify accepting residual risk?
Answer: That the risk is As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP)
Residual risk — risk remaining after controls are applied — must be shown to be ALARP, meaning further reduction would be disproportionately costly relative to the benefit.
What is the purpose of an SMS 'accountable executive'?
Answer: To serve as the final authority responsible for safety performance of the organization
The accountable executive has ultimate authority and responsibility for the implementation and performance of the SMS, including resource allocation.
An ASI observes that a repair station updates its SMS documentation only after an accident occurs. This indicates a failure of which SMS principle?
Answer: Proactive hazard identification
SMS requires proactive hazard identification before accidents occur; waiting for an accident to trigger documentation is a reactive approach inconsistent with SMS principles.