AviationPros.com/company/10134109
www.AviationPros.com | www.AMTSociety.org 13
ty into the same equation for SMS purposes.
Worker safety, of course, is absolutely critical.
But the Grey Owl chief asserts too many carriers
and maintainers are trying to blend operations
safety and OSH A-like safety concerns, thus
becoming "quickly overwhelmed" by the task.
So overwhelmed that four years ago, when all
Canadian carriers were audited "not too many"
passed. That, contends Komarniski is because a majority of
them tried to lump employee safety in with SMS. They found
themselves in over their heads because they had neither the
resources nor controls in place to meld the two. As a result he
says, "employees did not understand what SMS was."
If neither the person who's supposed to be running the show
nor the guy on the shop f loor get it, it's a safe bet a safety audit
will ref lect confusion.
Communication is critical
Komarniski is quick to point out some companies do get it. They
fashion SMS that mesh operational safety and employee safety
in a way that makes sense. They communicate among opera-
tional units so that everyone is on the same page, literally and
figuratively. This is especially true when it comes to manuals.
W hile FA A Part 121 SMS rules governing air carriers are
(as of this writing) still in draft form and, and Part 145 regula-
tions are still down the line, many U.S. airlines and major repair
organizations alike are already immersed in preparation.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIAMI AIR INTERNATIONAL
AMT_12-15_AirlineMiami.indd 13 4/3/14 2:02 PM