Safety Management Systems Flashcards

In an SMS, what does the term 'residual risk' refer to?

Answer: Risk remaining after controls have been implemented

Residual risk is the level of risk that remains after all feasible controls have been applied.

Which SMS component is MOST directly responsible for establishing the safety policy and accountability framework?

Answer: Safety policy and objectives

The safety policy and objectives component defines leadership commitment, accountability structures, and organizational safety goals.

A company conducts quarterly reviews of incident trends to verify control effectiveness. This activity best represents:

Answer: Safety performance monitoring

Reviewing incident trends to verify controls are working is a safety performance monitoring activity under safety assurance.

The 'Plan-Do-Check-Act' (PDCA) cycle is most closely aligned with which SMS principle?

Answer: Continual improvement

PDCA is a continual improvement cycle used in SMS frameworks such as ISO 45001 to drive ongoing performance gains.

When performing a Management of Change (MOC) review for new machinery, which step should occur FIRST?

Answer: Identify hazards introduced by the change

Hazard identification must occur first in an MOC review so that risks from the change can be assessed before implementation.

Under ISO 45001, which party bears ultimate accountability for the occupational health and safety management system?

Answer: Top management

ISO 45001 places ultimate accountability for the OH&S management system on top management, who must demonstrate leadership and commitment.

A leading indicator in an SMS would BEST be described as:

Answer: Percentage of safety audits completed on schedule

Leading indicators measure proactive safety activities (like audit completion rates) rather than outcomes, signaling future performance.