The Relationship between the Implementation of Safety Systems and Attitudes towards Unsafe Acts in Aviation

Abstract

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a United Nations (UN)-specialized agency in the field of civil aviation. Under Article 44 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (The Chicago Convention), one of the aims and objectives of the Organization is to "insure the safe and orderly growth of international civil aviation throughout the world" (Chicago, 1944). The Convention is supported by eighteen annexes containing standards and recommended practices (SARPs). The annexes are amended regularly by ICAO. ICAO (2006) outlined the importance of maintaining international civil aviation safety within a rapidly expanding industry and within resource limitations of oversight authorities. The paper proposed that complementing the regulatory approach to the management of safety with a performance-based approach was essential. Performance-based approaches to the management of safety are best exemplified by safety management systems (SMS), and the maturity achieved by the SMS concept allows for its implementation on a global basis.