LINCOLN, Neb. -- Duncan Aviation is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to develop a safety management system for application at several of its maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities.
The FAA does not currently require repair facilities to adhere to a safety management system (SMS) program, though the agency does offer a voluntary program for companies desiring accreditation. The program is based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and FAA 14 CFR Part 5 guidelines, focusing on safety policies, risk management, assurance, promotion and record keeping.
"Safety has always been at the heart of what we do at Duncan Aviation and always will be," said Tom Burt, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Duncan Aviation's facility in Battle Creek, Mich. "A safety management program will help us connect all of our safety-related activities so that we can confidently continue delivering safe products while keeping our team members safe in an increasingly complex environment."
The pilot program is being implemented for all operations at Duncan Aviation's facility in Lincoln, Neb.
An internal team has already analyzed how the company's current activities line up with 14 CFR Part 5, and is now "in the process of making minor modifications to some policies, adding a few new processes, clarifying SMS processes and goals, and conducting training," Duncan Aviation said in a statement.
The third and final step includes FAA design and demonstration units, which should be completed in 2019.
"Once everything is verified and accepted by the FAA for our operations in Lincoln, we will move on to apply for SMS for our Battle Creek and Provo locations as well," said Mike Brown, audit programs and SMS manager. "In the meantime, we are implementing all the same processes at all of our locations."
