The Implementation of Safety Management Systems in Maintenance Operations

Abstract

Literature and research for Safety Management Systems (SMS) that apply to flight operations are abundant, but there is a limited supply of SMS-related literature and research for maintenance operations. Even though the benefits of SMS are well established, it is difficult for maintenance facilities--especially small repair stations--to justify the cost. While the high cost of implementing an SMS is the putative reason for not having SMS, there could be other factors that hinder the implementation of SMS. This research sought to reveal the hindrances that prohibit successful SMS implementation. A cross-sectional survey was utilized for this study. The results from the 49 survey participants were analyzed, which revealed that there was statistical significance between the written policies of a company and its actual practices. However, this study also determined that--based on this sample--small repair stations do not lack safety policies, nor do the majority of employees working for small repair stations feel that there was a significant need for the improvement of safety policies and practices.