Safety Accountabilities and Responsibilities
Liberty University
AVIA 409 - Safety Management Systems
Professor: Andrew Walton
2022
Definition
Safety responsibility: the obligation to carry forward an assigned safety related task to its
successful conclusion. With responsibility goes authority to direct and take the necessary action to
ensure success.
Safety accountability: the obligation to demonstrate the task achievement and take
responsibility for the safety performance in accordance with agreed expectations. Accountability is the
obligation to answer for an action.
Objective
Clear and correctly allocated safety accountabilities and responsibilities are prerequisite for
achieving the organization’s safety objectives and for implementing an effective safety
management and safety improvement process.
Description
Safety accountabilities and responsibilities should be allocated to the management and
personnel involved in safety related tasks. This includes allocation of accountabilities and responsibilities
for the safety of operations (safety performance of the organization), but also for the implementation
and operation of the safety management system (SMS) of the operator/service provider in line with the
defined safety management roles. The former are often defined in a dedicated annex to the job
description, whereas the latter are usually described in the Safety Management Manual (SMM) of the
organisation.
Safety responsibility can be delegated, i.e. cascaded down, within the scope of the defined job
responsibilities, provided such delegation is documented. Safety accountability cannot be delegated. It
defines the obligation of the responsible person to demonstrate the satisfactory discharge of his/her
safety responsibilities.
Safety management accountabilities and responsibilities are allocated in accordance with the
organization’s general management structure and SMS organizational structure. Normally, the SMS does
not define safety accountabilities and responsibilities outside its scope. The SMM does not describe the
general arrangement of delegation of responsibilities within the operational and technical departments
and their internal safety administration. In many organizations, safety accountabilities and
responsibilities in relation to SMS are restricted to managers and staff performing safety management
functions only.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 19 requirements relating
to the implementation of SMS, the aviation service providers shall identify the accountable executive
who, irrespective of other functions, has ultimate responsibility and accountability, on behalf of the
organisation, for the implementation and maintenance of the SMS. Service provider are also required to
appoint a safety manager who is responsible for the implementation and maintenance of an effective
SMS. The operators/service providers are also required to identify the safety accountabilities of all
members of management, irrespective of other functions.
ICAO Doc 9859 - Safety Management Manual advises aircraft operators and aviation service
providers to maintain, regardless of the scope of their operation, a formal statement of safety
responsibilities and accountabilities. This statement should clarify the formal and informal reporting
lines of the organisational structure and should specify accountabilities for particular activities. For
example, the Safety manager could be accountable to the top management (the Executive Director) for
the discharge of his/her safety responsibilities (development, maintenance, monitoring of SMS;
preparation of specific safety procedures; etc.).
In order to ensure the needed safety awareness and commitment of all personnel involved in
safety related tasks, the safety accountabilities and responsibilities shall be clearly and comprehensively
defined, documented and communicated throughout the organisation.
