ICAO Annex 19 Standards and Recommended Practices applies to safety management functions related to, or indirect support of, the safe
operation of aircraft.
In Montreal, March 2010, ICAO hold a high-level safety conference regarding the need for an Annex dedicated to safety management. ICAO aims to enhance its strategic regulatory and infrastructure developments and stress the importance of overall safety performance in all aspects of air transport operations.
ICAO Annex 19 is available in six languages — English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish. In this article, I will give you a summary of ICAO Annex 19 safety management to help you understand the purpose and benefit of this annex.
What is ICAO annex 19?
The first edition of ICAO Annex 19 was a consolidation of existing overarching safety management provisions which support the continued evolution of a proactive strategy to improve aviation safety performance.
ICAO's proactive safety strategy is based on the implementation of a State safety program (SSP) that systematically addresses safety risks.
At the same time, the implementation of the safety management system (SMS) by the service providers. In addition, the integration of the State safety oversight (SSO) system-critical elements (CEs) and the State safety program (SSP) provisions.
Why a new annex?
Because ICAO Annex 19 has many benefits such as:
- Addressing safety risks proactively
- Managing and supporting strategic regulatory and infrastructure developments.
- Reinforces the role played by States in managing aviation safety at the state level, in coordination with service providers.
- Stressing the concept of overall safety performance in all domains.
ICAO Annex 19 Safety Management Provisions
The first edition of ICAO Annex 19 consolidates safety management provisions previously contained in six other ICAO Annexes which are:
- Annex 1 - Personnel licensing
- Annex 6 - Operation of aircraft
- Annex 8 - Airworthiness of Aircraft
- Annex 11 - Air Traffic Services
- Annex 13 - Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation
- Annex 14 - Aerodromes
You may need to know what subjects are included in the 19 annexes to the Chicago Convention. Ok, I will give you a summary of each subject covered by the safety management annex. But before we go more, you should understand the Annex components.
ICAO Annex 19 Components
The Components of ICAO Annex 19 Safety Management are:
A- Standards Uniform application is recognized as necessary
B- Recommended Practices Uniform application is recognized as desirable
C- Appendices Form part of the Standards and Recommended Practices.
Note : If any state has differences from the ICAO standards it must notify ICAO about it. While, differences from ICAO recommended practices, no need to notify differences to ICAO.
ICAO Annex 19 – Contents
FOREWORD CHAPTER 1: Definitions
The most important definitions are:
Hazard
A condition or an object with the potential to cause or contribute to an aircraft incident or accident.
Safety
The state in which risks associated with aviation activities, related to, or in direct support of the operation of aircraft, are reduced and controlled to an acceptable level.
Safety data
A defined set of facts or set of safety values collected from various aviation-related sources, which is used to maintain or improve safety.
Note.— Such safety data is collected from proactive or reactive safety-related activities, including but not limited to:
a) accident or incident investigations;
b) safety reporting;
c) continuing airworthiness reporting;
d) operational performance monitoring;
e) inspections, audits, surveys; or
f) safety studies and reviews.
Safety information
Safety data is processed, organized, or analyzed in a given context to make it useful for safety management purposes.
Safety management system
(SMS) A systematic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organizational structures, accountability, responsibilities, policies, and procedures.
A function performed by a State to ensure that individuals and organizations performing an aviation activity comply with safety-related national laws and regulations.
Safety performance
A State or a service provider’s safety achievement is defined by its safety performance targets and safety performance indicators.
Safety risk
The predicted probability and severity of the consequences or outcomes of a hazard.
State safety program (SSP)
CHAPTER 2: Applicability
ICAO Annex 19 Standards and Recommended Practices applies to safety management functions related to, or indirect support of, the safe operation of aircraft. Chapter 4 and 5 includes the ICAO annex 19 requirements.
CHAPTER 3: State Safety Management Responsibilities
In this chapter, ICAO enforces States to establish and maintain -State Safety Program is commensurate with the size and complexity of the States' civil aviation system.
State Safety Program Components
Safety Policy and Objectives
State safety policy, objectives, and resources which include:
- Primary aviation legislation per section 1 of Appendix 1.
- Specific operating regulations per section 2 of Appendix 1.
- State system and functions per section 3 of Appendix 1.
- Requirements for the qualification of technical personnel per section 4 of Appendix 1.
- Technical guidance and tools and provide safety-critical information per section 5 of Appendix 1.
Safety Risk Management
State safety risk management that meets ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices SARPs regarding:
- Licensing, certification, authorization, and approval obligations (section 6 of Appendix 1.).
- Safety management system obligations (enforcing service providers under state authority to implement an SMS).
- Accident and incident investigation (per Annex 13).
- Hazard identification and safety risk assessment (maintaining a process to identify hazards from collected safety data).
- Management of safety risks (per section 8 in Appendix 1).
Safety Assurance
State safety assurance that meets ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices SARPs regarding:
- Surveillance obligations (per section 7 of Appendix 1).
- State safety performance (to be achieved through their SSP).
Safety Promotion
State safety risk management that meets ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices SARPs regarding:
- Internal communication and dissemination of safety information (promoting safety awareness and sharing and exchange of safety information).
- External communication and dissemination of safety information (promoting safety awareness and sharing and exchange of safety information).
Chapter 4: Safety Management System
ICAO Annex 19 Appendix 2
In appendix 2, contained the SMS framework elements for a service provider. The States is responsible for ensuring that the service provider develops a plan to facilitate SMS implementation.
SMS framework components
- Safety Policy and Objectives
- Safety Risk Management
- Safety Assurance
- Safety Promotion
Chapter 5: Safety data and safety information collection, analysis, protection, sharing, and exchange
The objective of this chapter is to ensure the continued availability of safety data and safety information to support safety management activities.
ICAO requires States to establish safety data collection and processing systems (SDCPS) to capture, store, aggregate, and enable the analysis of safety data and safety information to maintain a process for analyzing the safety data by the protection of safety data.
ICAO encourages States to participate in safety information sharing and exchange after States have agreed on the level of protection and conditions on which safety information will be shared.
These provisions, transferred from Annex 13, provide the necessary foundation for the collection, protection, analysis, and exchange of safety data to complement the SSP provisions.
Appendix 1: State safety oversight (SSO) system-critical elements (CES).
Appendix 2: Framework for a safety management system (SMS).
Appendix 3: Principles for the protection of safety data, safety information, and related sources.
ICAO Doc 9859. Safety Management Manual
After completing the ICAO annex 19 safety management summary, I will give you short details about ICAO Doc 9859. Safety Management Manual. It provides States and product and service providers with:
- An overview of accepted safety management fundamentals.
- A summary of ICAO SARPs.
- Guidance on the ICAO harmonized SSP framework and its implementation and operation.
- Guidance for product and service providers on SMS framework and its implementation and operation. - Guidance for product and service providers on SMS development, implementation, and maintenance.
ICAO Doc 9859 is one of many references help you prepare the SMS manual and the SSP program.
Summary
The Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) in ICAO Annex 19 are intended to assist States in managing aviation safety risks. Also, ICAO Annex 19 supports the continued evolution of a proactive strategy to improve safety performance.
The foundation of the proactive safety strategy is based on the implementation of a State safety program (SSP) that systematically addresses safety risks. Also, implementation of a SMS that systematically addresses safety risks by aircraft operators and service providers .