Implementation

Q3.  What are the main challenges in implementing a safety management system, and how long will it take to implement?

While the procedural and organizational changes involved in introducing a SMS are relatively straightforward, full implementation will vary on the size of the organization. For example, it may take several years for a large organization to fully implement a SMS. However, implementing the system and procedures merely lays the foundation. The main challenge lies in bringing about the necessary changes in company culture. This could take several years, and in a sense may never be complete, since preserving the company culture is an ongoing task that forms an essential element of a SMS.

The difficulties encountered in accomplishing the necessary cultural change will vary greatly from one organization to another. Some organizations already have a healthy culture well established, while others will have a long way to go. As a general rule, once the basic SMS organization and procedures are in place, there should be indications of positive safety improvement within the next full audit cycle.

Additionally, as an enterprise-wide system, provisions must be made for the SMS processes to be subjected to internal, but independent, audits. Large organizations may find it worthwhile to devote a small unit to this task. For most organizations however, the workload involved will most likely not be sufficient to justify full-time employees for this purpose. Instead, they may find it more practical to assign the oversight as a part-time function, or to outsource this activity.

Return to list of questions