In Flight 2005: A Civil Aviation Safety Framework for Canada, Transport Canada committed to the implementation of safety management systems in aviation organizations. At the most fundamental level the aim is to improve safety through pro-active management rather than reactive compliance with regulatory requirements.
Holders of Transport Canada issued operation certificates will be required to implement a safety management system. The implementation date for various Parts of the Canadian Aviation Regulations will vary based on the progress of the Notice of Proposed Amendments (NPA) through the regulatory system. The expected result of this initiative is the improvement of safety practices fostering stronger safety cultures within the civil aviation industry.
As part of Transport Canada’s continuous improvement approach to SMS, in 2005 the Safety Management Systems, Small Operator Pilot Project (SMS SOP) was established with selected small operator volunteers. This project is assessing the Transport Canada SMS infrastructure, to validate current assumptions, recommend change where applicable, and provide a foundation for the next phase of implementation. Through this project we are endeavouring to ensure that when small operator regulations come into force we will have a practical implementation plan, including the tools small operators will need to help them implement SMS.
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