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Safety Management System (SMS)

 

At the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, safety is a shared responsibility. Our Safety Management System (SMS) is a proactive approach to identifying and reducing risks, ensuring a safe environment for employees, passengers, and the entire airport community. SMS helps us recognize potential hazards, take corrective action, and continually improve safety practices. Employees play a key role by working safely and reporting concerns, incidents, or near misses.

Explore how SMS supports airport operations and how you can contribute to a safer RNO.

The Four Components

What is SMS?

A Safety Management System (SMS) is a proactive and systematic approach to managing safety by identifying and resolving safety concerns through collaboration and analysis. SMS is an integral part of all airport activities with the objective of achieving and maintaining safety standards and performance. The SMS relies on everyone to participate in and improve safety as part of their daily work activities by working safely and reporting safety concerns, incidents, accidents and near misses.

Safety Policy and Objectives

Safety Policy and Objectives includes establishing and managing safety policies and identifying goals and objectives to measure the performance of the SMS. SMS requires management commitment from the highest levels of the organization.

Safety Risk Management

Safety Risk Management is founded on performing risk assessments to identify hazards proactively, assessing risks, and developing controls to reduce hazards to acceptable levels.

Safety Promotion

Safety Promotion includes employee training to identify and report hazards as well as promotional efforts to encourage a positive safety culture and communicate safety information.

Safety Assurance

Safety Assurance measures the effectiveness of the airport’s SMS through evaluations and audits, allowing for continuous improvement.

Your Feedback is Essential

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The Benefits

Implementing a SMS

 

SMS provides us with an opportunity to create systems to support the safe operation of our airport. These systems will help RNO identify and mitigate hazards as well as ensure continuous awareness and monitoring of airport safety. SMS acknowledges that each of us play a role in maintaining a safe workplace. The system allows all employees to have a clearer vision for what safety looks like and goes beyond complying with rules and regulations. When our airport community is faced with a unique situation for which there are no clear guidelines, SMS will help us approach the problem with clarity, better understand the safety implications, and build resilient teams committed to improving safety for all. 

Build a Safer RNO

Hazard Reporting

 

All airport employees are highly encouraged to voluntarily report all potential hazards, accidents, incidents, or near misses. Reporting safety concerns is essential for reducing accident and injury rates and leads to the proactive identification of hazards and their associated risks, development of corrective actions, and increased education.  

When submitting an online hazard report, users have the option to remain anonymous.

For emergencies dial: 775-328-6999 

Report a Hazard

SMS Resources and Important Links

  • RNO SMS Manual 

    RNO’s accepted Safety Management System manual covering the four components of SMS and how they are applied at our airport.

    Link Coming Soon

  • RNO Safety Policy Statement

    The signed RNO Safety Policy Statement.

    Link Coming Soon.

  • RNO Rules and Regulations

    The purpose of this manual is to provide Airport users with a single document representing a compilation of rules, regulations, procedures, and general information governing their activities at RNO. The objective of the Rules and Regulation document is to promote safe and efficient operations at RNO

  • RNO SMS Flyer

    Please download this SMS flyer and share in all airport employee spaces.

  • Safety Management Systems for Airports – FAA AC 150/5200-37A

    Federal Aviation Administration guidance on the concepts, development, and implementation of an SMS at an airport.

  • FAA Safety Management Systems (SMS) for Airports 

    Federal Aviation Administration’s progress on the Part 139 SMS Rulemaking, Pilot Studies, and Internal SMS Efforts

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