Auditing & SMS Program Implementation
All flight operations involve a certain amount of inherent risk. Mitigating the exposure to risks is a good business practice and provides peace of mind in knowing that your passengers and cargo are being transported in the safest manner possible. AMCS has extensive experience in the auditing flight departments and in the implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS). They have also completed FAA SAS compliance programs for certificated air carriers.
An external auditing program is the only way to be sure that your contracted air carriers, maintenance providers and ground support service providers are complying with your safety standards. Before contracting the services of these entities it is prudent to confirm the quality of their safety programs and practices. AMCS can conduct simple spot checks of there facilities and equipment, audits for FAA regulation compliance, Oil and Gas Producer (OGP) guideline audits or a custom audit designed in cooperation with you. It is not unusual to find certain areas of a service provider’s operations are potentially deficient. AMCS will generate a report of our audit findings for our client and complete risk mitigation procedures based on that report if warranted. Most of our clients choose to work with their vendors to fix the issues discovered during an audit rather than contract the services of another entity. AMCS will complete a root cause analysis of the identified problems and then work with the vendor to develop a long term solutions that will put our client’s concerns to rest.
An internal auditing program confirms your flight department is conducting operations safely. Many risks can only be identified by looking at operations from an outsiders point of view. Routinely contracting a “second set of eyes” to review your company’s aviation related programs will also identify complacency related safety issues which can easily occur in a "business as usual" environment. AMCS approaches internal audits from the perspective of helping a flight department to reduce risk rather than condemning the status quo. In most cases, small procedural changes can mitigate risks once they have been identified down to their root cause. It becomes increasingly difficult to resolve flight department problems after an accident or incident because the entire operation now falls under the scrutiny of the FAA, the NTSB and possible legal action. It is far less expensive and time consuming to hire an auditor to identify safety issues before they lead to accidents.
Most corporate flight departments are now utilizing some form of Safety Management System (SMS) program. EASA and the aviation regulating authorities of many countries now require flight departments to have active SMS programs to conduct flights in their airspace. SMS programs have become the new front line to identify and mitigate safety issues. AMCS can assist a flight department with developing a robust SMS program for their operations. As with the implementation of all new programs, the complexity of a company’s operations dictates the size and complexity of the SMS program. AMCS will help you develop SMS procedures that are the right fit for your organization.
Airlines and scheduled air carriers certificated in the United States are now required to comply with the FAA’s Safety Assurance System (SAS) which is a program that confirms all the aspects of an air carrier’s SMS are documented and being used. Revisions to the GOM, GMM and CAMP manuals are just a few of the changes required to meet SAS guidelines. AMCS has a long history of preparing manuals for FAA review an acceptance. Please see our services listed under FAA Documents and Flight Department Manuals Preparation for more details of how we can help.
Please consider contacting AMCS to assist you in developing your safety programs before unidentified risks lead to serious incidents.