Safety Management System Basics
Introduction
A "system" may be thought of as an orderly arrangement of interdependent activities and related procedures which implement and facilitate the performance of a major activity within an organization. (American Society of Safety Engineers, Dictionary of Terms)
Take a look at Syssie, the cow. Syssie is system too, right? You can tell she's a cow, so she has "structure." She needs food, air, water, a suitable environment, tender loving care, and other "inputs" to function properly. We know she has respiratory, digestion, circulation, and many other "processes" inside. Finally, she produces outputs like milk, waste products, and behavior.
Just like Syssie, all organizational systems have components that must all work together to be successful:
- Structure
- Inputs
- Processes
- Outputs
If a safety management system (SMS) does not have adequate structure, inputs, or processes, the outputs will not be those desired. We'll look at these components as they relate to the safety management system.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-1. A _____ may be thought of as an orderly arrangement of activities and related procedures which implement and facilitate the performance of a major activity within an organization.
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