CAM Safety Management Systems (SMS) 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the four SMS components establishes the organization's commitment to safety and defines accountabilities?
- Safety policy (Correct answer)
- Safety risk management
- Safety assurance
- Safety promotion
Correct answer: Safety policy
Safety policy sets management commitment, accountabilities, and the framework for the other three SMS components.
Question 2: In a risk matrix, a hazard assessed as 'remote probability, hazardous severity' falls into a tolerable region. What is the appropriate management action?
- Accept the risk with mitigation and continued monitoring (Correct answer)
- Immediately cease the operation
- Ignore the hazard since it is tolerable
- Transfer the operation to a contractor
Correct answer: Accept the risk with mitigation and continued monitoring
Risks in the tolerable region may be accepted only after mitigation reduces them as low as reasonably practicable, with ongoing monitoring.
Question 3: A flight department manager wants to measure SMS effectiveness proactively rather than waiting for accidents. Which metric is a leading indicator?
- Rate of voluntary hazard reports submitted per month (Correct answer)
- Number of hull losses in the past decade
- Annual insurance claim totals
- Count of completed accident investigations
Correct answer: Rate of voluntary hazard reports submitted per month
Voluntary hazard report rates measure system activity before an accident occurs, making them a leading indicator.
Question 4: Under a just culture, how should a manager respond to a technician who made an honest error while following approved procedures?
- Treat it as a learning opportunity without punitive action (Correct answer)
- Terminate the technician to set an example
- Issue a formal written reprimand
- Suspend the technician's certification privileges
Correct answer: Treat it as a learning opportunity without punitive action
Just culture distinguishes honest errors, which are addressed through learning, from reckless or willful violations, which warrant discipline.
Question 5: Which SMS component includes safety training, communication, and dissemination of lessons learned?
- Safety promotion (Correct answer)
- Safety policy
- Safety risk management
- Safety assurance
Correct answer: Safety promotion
Safety promotion covers training, education, and safety communication throughout the organization.
Question 6: During a management of change (MOC) process for adding a new aircraft type, what should be completed before the change is implemented?
- A hazard analysis and risk assessment of the change (Correct answer)
- A press release announcing the acquisition
- A full external audit of the entire SMS
- Renegotiation of all vendor contracts
Correct answer: A hazard analysis and risk assessment of the change
Management of change requires identifying hazards and assessing risks introduced by the change before implementation.
Question 7: Who holds ultimate accountability for the SMS in a business aviation flight department?
- The accountable executive (Correct answer)
- The safety officer
- The chief pilot's administrative assistant
- The external SMS consultant
Correct answer: The accountable executive
The accountable executive has final authority and responsibility for SMS performance, including resource allocation.
CAM Safety Management Systems (SMS) 2
Which of the four SMS components establishes the organization's commitment to safety and defines accountabilities?