DADE Safety Management Systems 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which SMS component is responsible for establishing the organization's safety policy and objectives?
- Safety assurance
- Safety risk management
- Safety policy and objectives (Correct answer)
- Safety promotion
Correct answer: Safety policy and objectives
Safety policy and objectives is the foundational SMS component that establishes management commitment, accountability, and safety goals.
Question 2: In a dispatch context, a Safety Management System hazard is best defined as:
- An accident that has already occurred
- A condition or object with potential to cause harm (Correct answer)
- A deviation from standard operating procedures
- A maintenance discrepancy logged in the aircraft logbook
Correct answer: A condition or object with potential to cause harm
A hazard is any existing or potential condition that could lead to an accident, injury, or damage before any harm actually occurs.
Question 3: Under FAA SMS regulations (14 CFR Part 5), which aviation entities are currently required to have a formal SMS?
- All Part 91 operators
- Part 121 air carriers (Correct answer)
- All certificated repair stations
- Part 135 on-demand operators only
Correct answer: Part 121 air carriers
14 CFR Part 5 mandates SMS for Part 121 air carriers; other operators may voluntarily adopt SMS frameworks.
Question 4: A dispatcher notices that multiple pilots have independently reported difficulty reading a particular chart in low cockpit lighting. In SMS terms, this represents:
- An isolated human error requiring retraining
- A systemic hazard trend requiring risk assessment (Correct answer)
- A maintenance issue outside dispatch responsibility
- An airworthiness directive compliance gap
Correct answer: A systemic hazard trend requiring risk assessment
Multiple independent reports of the same condition indicate a systemic hazard trend that SMS risk management processes should evaluate.
Question 5: The 'bowtie' model used in SMS risk analysis places the hazard at the center and maps:
- Threats on the left and consequences on the right (Correct answer)
- Errors on the left and mitigations on the right
- Regulations on the left and audits on the right
- Human factors on the left and technical factors on the right
Correct answer: Threats on the left and consequences on the right
The bowtie model shows threats (causes) leading to the hazard on the left side and consequences radiating out on the right, with barriers on each side.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the purpose of safety assurance in SMS?
- Setting the initial risk tolerance threshold
- Continuously monitoring and validating that safety risk controls remain effective (Correct answer)
- Training employees on new hazard identification techniques
- Publishing the annual safety report to the FAA
Correct answer: Continuously monitoring and validating that safety risk controls remain effective
Safety assurance monitors operational performance and validates that previously implemented risk controls continue to work as intended.
Question 7: An aircraft dispatcher's primary SMS obligation when identifying a new operational hazard is to:
- Immediately ground all affected aircraft pending FAA approval
- Document and report the hazard through the established safety reporting system (Correct answer)
- Independently determine a risk control and implement it without delay
- Notify only the captain of the next affected flight
Correct answer: Document and report the hazard through the established safety reporting system
Dispatchers should document and report hazards through the organization's safety reporting system so the SMS process can evaluate and address them.
DADE Safety Management Systems 2
Which SMS component is responsible for establishing the organization's safety policy and objectives?