Safety Management Initiative Integrates Airfield Safety

The Safety Management Initiative (TSMI) was founded at the 2003 InterAirport exhibition in Munich. As we approach Inter Airport 2005, whathas TSMI achieved?

Clickairport, Scarecrow Bio-Acoustic Systems, NH Bird Management andQinetiQ are working as a Group to raise awareness of best practice birdand debris control processes offered by new and emerging technology.The Group promote their adoption within those organisations responsiblefor due diligence in improving and maintaining total flight safety.

The Group believes that although airport operators in some countriesare using the tools available to them wisely, other airports (oftenpopular holiday destinations) associated airlines, tour operators,insurance companies, regulators, industry associations, lawyers andrisk consultants perhaps do not realise that technology now existswhich can provide considerable safety enhancements at reasonable cost.Any reluctance to implement available and emerging technology suggeststhat total flight safety is being unnecessarily compromised.

This Group calls on all organisations in the civil aviation industry toconsider their assessment procedures for ensuring their contribution toflight safety is upheld. Further, they should challenge whether their processes could be considered as falling short of the best practice approach of many airports. We are all in the business of Risk Management where a lack of awareness can lead to hazardous and evenfatal circumstances.

That is the stick! The carrot is that TSMI has been working, andcontinues to work, to provide a joined up approach to airfield safety management. In ensuring that there is an umbrella solution architecture and support services, airports can be confident they are delivering best practice airfield safety. The resulting Integrated SafetyManagement System (iSMS) is based on FOD and wildlife sensors and bird dispersal equipment sharing information over a data solution backbone.This iSMS is configured to support compliance with ICAO’s Annex 14 andDoc 9774 on Certification of Aerodromes.

By pooling resources, over the last 18 months TSMI has been able toextend their aerodrome safety management awareness activities beyond airport operators to include airlines, insurance companies, touroperators, risk consultants and UK Parliamentarians.

So what can you expect to see in the future from TSMI? Look out for aseries of workshops at Trial sites in Europe and North America at whichTSMI will demonstrate the iSMS and coordinate forums about SMS implementation. For more information, come find us at Munich InterAirport 2005.