Considering the Root Cause Differences between QMS & SMS
Within our Aviation system both Quality and Safety Management systems have shared common values. To be effective they both have to be planned and managed and provided with appropriate resources. In addition both aim to involve every relevant functional element within the organization and indeed, both processes strive for continuous improvement.
Root Cause is Root Cause you may correctly say! So how can there be a difference between Quality Management Systems (QMS) Root Cause and Safety Management Systems (SMS) Root Cause.
Lets first consider the Different roles of Quality & Safety.
Quality is looking at Compliance (It has happened!).
Quality systems tend not to consider the role of risk whereas of course this is a fundamental tenant of the SMS system.
The Quality Management System (QMS) remains however the primary means of ensuring that the organization is meeting requirements (Ensuring Regulatory Compliance) and continuously improving its processes.
Safety is looking at Risk & Exposure (It may happen!).
Safety Management Systems focus extensively on the analysis of the data derived from the contributing elements of the various impacted areas. In addition the Safety Management System identifies as an essential goal, the improvement of the Safety Performance. In so doing the SMS aims to deliver an improvement in the risk exposure.
In essence Quality Assurance is determining gaps based on an observed noncompliance “external” with the regulatory requirements or “internal” with the organisational requirements developed to ensure compliance with the external regulations.
Safety Assurance is looking at weakness in the organisational system which raises the exposure to risk. Safety Assurance is a forward looking process and Quality Assurance is a reward looking process.
So what does this mean for RCA - Consider.
In the event of a Quality Audit Finding (Corrective Action or Discrepancy) The Nominated Person (NP) or Business Area Owner is ultimately responsible to determine the Root Cause and to take the Necessary Corrective action – mitigation to correct the discrepancy.
For a Quality Finding the Business Owner is Responsible for RCA and the necessary Corrective Action.
In the event of an SMS “Issue” for example a report of an “Exposure” (Hazard with an unacceptable level of threat) the SMS nominated person or persons (Safety Expert Group for example) will assess the exposure using assessment tools and the output will be a Mitigation Proposal.
For a Safety Finding the Business Owner is not directly responsible for RCA but is responsible to consider the Mitigation Proposal and to finally determine what action (If any) will be taken in response.
Sofema Aviation Services delivers EASA compliant regulatory training for details please see www.sofemaonline.com for online training and www.sassofia.com for classroom training. For further information please email office@sassofia.
