716 Safety Management System Evaluation

Safety Management System Performance

The SMS behaves uniquely for each organization. These behaviors manifest as individual actions and SMS processes – the "elements" of an SMS, each with a unique set of programs, procedures, and practices.

A system performance evaluation looks at how well programs, procedures, and practices are working. The primary SMS elements describing effective performance include the following:

• Commitment: Demonstrating leadership, management, planning, and adequate funding.
  • Example: Management allocating budget for safety equipment and training programs.
• Accountability: Administering effective consequences for performance.
  • Example: Implementing appropriate disciplinary actions for safety violations to maintain standards.
• Involvement: Participation in safety committees, submitting suggestions, recognizing/rewarding others.
  • Example: Forming safety committees with employee and management representatives to discuss safety issues.
• Identification: Performing inspections, observation, surveys, and interviews.
  • Example: Conducting regular safety inspections to identify potential hazards.
• Analysis: Analyzing incidents, accidents, tasks, programs, and other components of the SMS.
  • Example: Analyzing accident reports to identify root causes and prevent future occurrences.

• Education: Conducting safety orientation, instruction, training, and certification.
  • Example: Offering regular training programs to keep employees updated on safety practices.
• Evaluation: Judging the quality of workplace conditions, behaviors, programs, systems, results.
  • Example: Evaluating the effectiveness of safety measures and making improvements where needed.
• Improvement: Implementing change management, design, and implementation.
  • Example: Implementing changes to safety procedures based on evaluation results.

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