AS9110 – Building a culture for safety and quality

 

As organizations implement AS9110 they will come across the question if AS9110 requires a safety management system to be implemented as required by ICAO Annex 19. The standard in its latest revision does not require this but stipulates that it will need to be implemented when regulatory requirement so require it.

While a safety management system is not required, to align with international requirements AS9110 requires the leadership to implement and communicate a safety policy and safety objectives. Clause 5.2.3 requires that a culture for safety be encouraged and that there be no fear of punitive actions upon reporting of safety matters. All personnel need to be made aware of the safety policy and objectives. The risk-based approach of AS9110 has been further applied to product safety where personnel need to understand the safety hazards associated with the product and take the appropriate measures. As a part of the product safety clause in 8.1.3 the following is required by the standard “communication of product safety information, including safety-critical information, safety events, and changes to safety procedures, as applicable”.

Along with safety, quality also plays an integral role. For both to be successful the culture of the personnel plays an even more critical role. Personnel need to understand the role they play in ensure the success of the system. This will only be possible once they see the benefits to them. Leadership must connect the policy to the objectives to the processes that capture how the users actually perform work. The processes must be useful to the personnel using them, so they are inclined to refer to the management system rather than create their own sub-systems. This is often the case when personnel are not involved in the creation of the system.

Along with personnel within the organization, those outside the organization such as external providers must also understand their contribution to product safety. The requirements for product safety must be passed down to the external providers. Safety and Quality must both be monitored at appropriate stages so timely action can be taken should there be a product safety or quality risk. The commitment for safety and quality must start with the leadership and thus clause 5.1.1 requires that leadership take accountability for the effectiveness of the system.  

AS9110 is built on the PDCA framework and includes an aspect of continual improvement. Clause 10.1 includes the continual improvement of safety performance. AS9110 also includes the consideration of personal safety during operational planning and control, however does not require an OHSAS management system per ISO 45001 to be set up.