Aviation and Transportation Technology

Safety Management System

3. Safety Policy and Objectives

Contents:

General Requirements
1. Safety at Purdue University is an attitude and culture that must permeate the entire organization. It is the responsibility of each and every individual including; the administration, faculty, professional and support staff, and students.
2. Processes and procedures are documented within this manual section. SMS processes and procedures are documented, monitored, measured and analyzed as defined within this manual.
  - Flight Operations
  - Aviation Engineering Technology (AET)
  - Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)
  - Management
3. Each school program in SATT has the responsibility to include the components of SMS in the scope and life cycle of their operations, including their respective training.
4. All SMS outputs are recorded, monitored, measured and analyzed in accordance with this manual and 14 CFR Part 5. These document control processes and the record retention policy ensure traceability and historical record of safety action according to the SMS operating procedures.
5. SATT promotes a positive safety culture as detailed in Section 6 of this manual.
Safety Planning
1. As directed by the Head of School for SATT, the Program Manager of Aviation Safety will coordinate the implementation and maintenance of SMS for the School.
2. Each program will establish an organizational structure that supports this manual, and complies with 14 CFR 5. The structure and procedure for each program are documented in their operating manuals.
3. All school, program goals, and metrics will be utilized to track the performance objectives of the Safety Policy and SMS. These objectives are monitored to ensure a safe environment to operate in. The metrics and goals that are used to monitor objectives are tracked within the review meetings, as indicated in Section 6 and are reviewed and revised by the Program Manager, Aviation Safety and the Safety Committee to ensure relevance and continuous improvement.
Compliance with Legal and Other Requirements
1. The Program Manager, Aviation Safety ensures that all components of the SMS comply with, establish and maintain all safety-related legal and regulatory requirements. These include, but are not limited to:
  - Federal Aviation Regulations and Advisory Circulars
  - ICAO Regulations (Annex 13 & 19)
  - NTSB Regulations (14 CFR 49 Part 830-831)
  - Purdue University Policies and Procedures
Procedures and Controls
1. The School maintains procedures to accomplish the objectives of the Safety Policy. This document addresses details on the planning and implementation process to support the safety management policies and objectives. This document will serve as the SMS policy and guidance for the School. Program level procedures shall describe how these requirements are met, in compliance with this document and 14 CFR Part 5.
Safety Policy
1. The School’s Safety Policy outlines the scope of the Safety Management System. The policy is established and signed by the accountable executive, Head, School of Aviation and Transportation Technology. The most current version of the Safety Policy is located in this document.
2. Safety Objectives
  1. Safety overrides any other consideration at the School, and has established safety objectives to ensure continuous monitoring and improvement of our safety performance.
  2. The primary safety objective is to identify and monitor safety risks and to mitigate those risks to a level that is as low as reasonably practical. This is achieved, in part, by setting measurable enterprise goals and objectives which are monitored via the management review processes.
  3. Examples of enterprise Safety metrics (objectives) include:
    - Risk Level 3 – Measures the rate of unacceptable risk to the School as defined by the SMS Risk Matrix scale of 1 through 5. Risk level 3+ event rate goals are set annually.
    - Aircraft Ground Damage (AGD) – Goal rates for the AGD events are set annually. AGD rates are monitored against established targets via the management review processes.
    - Injuries – Goal rates for injuries are also set annually and monitored via the management review process.
3. Commitment to Fulfill Safety Objectives
  1. The School’s Safety Policy documents the accountable executive’s commitment to fulfil the safety objectives and to provide human and financial resources necessary to implement and maintain the SMS.
4. Student/Employee Responsibilities
  1. The Safety Policy requires and encourages employees to report safety hazards or incidents and supports the non-punitive reporting system in all areas where operations are conducted. With the exception of illegal activities or intentional disregard for regulations, policies, or procedures, no student/employee will ever be disciplined for reporting a safety hazards or events.
  2. All students and employees are empowered and expected to stop an operation anytime something appears to be unsafe, and will not face retribution for doing so.
5. Emergency Response
  1. The School will employ an emergency response plan that provides for the safe transition from normal to emergency operations and back to normal in accordance with the requirements 14 CFR part 5.27 and section 3.8
  2. The emergency response plan is documented in the Purdue University School of Aviation and Transportation Technology Emergency Response Guide.
Safety Policy Review
1. The Program Manager, Aviation Safety will ensure the Accountable Executive reviews the Safety Policy at least annually to ensure continuous improvement and applicability.
Management Responsibility and Key Safety Personnel
1. This section will define, document, and communicate the safety roles, responsibilities, and authorities throughout the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology. An organizational chart is provided at the end of this section.
2. The Department Head is the accountable executive at the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology who has the ultimate responsibility and final authority for the certificated flight school’s safe operations within the SMS. Including the items listed below.
  - Ensure that the SMS is properly implemented and performing in all areas of the School.
  - Ensure human and financial resources essential to implement and maintain the safe operations within the SMS.
  - Regularly review the safety performance of the School and direct actions necessary to address substandard safety performance.
  - Establish, regularly review and rives the safety policy included the importance of student/employee reporting programs.
3. The Program Manager, Aviation Safety will be responsible for the following:
  - Ensure that the SMS is properly implemented and performing in all areas of the School.
  - Regularly review the safety performance of the School and direct actions necessary to address substandard safety performance.
  - Ensure the process needed for the SMS are established, documented, implemented and maintained.
  - Ensure the promotion and awareness of safety through the School.
  - Report to the Accountable Executive on the performance of the SMS and the need for improvement.
  - Support operating programs in the implementation of SMS.
  - Ensure hazard identification and risk analysis are performed.
  - Ensure effectiveness of safety risk controls.
4. All Safety Committee members have the authority to carry out the duties listed below, delegated to them by the Head of the School / Program Manager of Aviation Safety:
  - Identify hazards in their operation
  - Promote safety in their programs
  - Assess safety risks
  - Ensure effectives of safety risk controls
  - Advise the Program Manager, Aviation Safety on the performance of the SMS and needs for improvement.
5. All members of the full time staff, Captains, and Instructors in each School program have been given the authority by the Head of the School / Program Manager of Aviation Safety to implement, document maintain and continuously improve their SMS processes with the support of and in coordination with Safety Programs. This in includes following duties.1
  - Support the Program’s Safety Committee member with development, implementation, maintenance and improvement of the SMS in relations to their responsibilities within the organization. Ensure SMS procedures are followed in adherence with this and program guidance.
  - Inform the Program Manager of Aviation Safety on the performance of the SMS and the need for improvement.
  - Identify hazards in the operation.
  - Promote safety in their program.
  - Assess safety risks
  - Ensure the effectiveness of safety risk controls.
    
    Safety Organizational Chart
Emergency Preparedness and Response
1. The emergency response procedures for the delegations of emergency authority, assignment of responsibilities, and coordination with external affected organizations are documented in the Purdue University School of Aviation and Transportation Technology Emergency Response Guide.
SMS Documentation and Records
1. This manual provides Safety Management System policy and procedures and set expectations for a comprehensive safety plan. The Program Manager, Aviation Safety is responsible for the quality of the document and records process as it relates to this manual. Each program is responsible for performing the document and records process within their manual systems, and in accordance with this manual.
2. School of Aviation and Transportation Technology has documented the following procedures.
  - The Safety Policy – Documented on page one in Figure 1 of this manual. Safety policies are documented throughout this manual and in program policy and procedure manuals.
  - Safety objectives – are documented in in the Safety Policy section of this manual titled Safety Objectives.
  - SMS expectations are documented through this manual within program procedure documentation.
  - Safety and SMS procedures, processes, accountabilities, responsibilities and authorities as details in this manual and program manual systems, which include interactions and interfaces between safety-related procedures and policies. Safety risk controls and safety process and procedures that are in place to ensure safety are documented in this manual and program procedures and manual systems.
  - SMS outputs are documented in accordance with this sections and are described within each section in detail.
3. Document management will be accomplished in accordance with the procedures described in this manual and in accordance with 14 CFR Part 5. This document will be legible, dated, readily identifiable, and maintained in an orderly manner. The original of each revision will be retained in the following network location: Z:\Safety Management System (SMS)\Safety Programs\SMS Manual. Copies will be shared with Programs via the Safety Committee meetings. The date will be added to the title for easy retrieval. Revisions will be saved for a minimum of five years.