Tunisie-Tribune ( ACAO/IATA FRMS & Safety ) – The Arab Civil Aviation Organization organized a workshop on « Risk Management and Safety Audit Program » (FRMS & IOSA) in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Tunisair at the MouradiGammarth Hotel (Tunis, Tunisia) on 5-6 September 2018. This Workshop aims toprovide an overview on a prescriptive approach and a performance-based approach for managing fatigue and on the fundamental changes that are required in the shift towards a performance-based approach.
It will also help participants to better understand how to incorporate the IOSA process into internal Quality Assurance program, and how to ensure the following four aspects of airline operations: continued conformity with IOSA, implementation of IOSA Standards, increased reliability of quality assurance functions, and standardization of the auditing process.
The aviation industry provides one of the safest modes of transportation in the world. Nevertheless, a safety criticalindustry must actively manage hazards with the potential to impact safety. Crew member fatigue is now acknowledged asa hazard that predictably degrades various types of human performance and can contribute to aviation accidents andincidents. Fatigue is inevitable in 24/7 operations because the human brain and body function optimally with unrestrictedsleep at night. Therefore, as fatigue cannot be eliminated, it must be managed.
The Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) approach representsan opportunity for service providers to use advances in scientific knowledge to improve safety, use resources more efficiently and increase operational flexibility.FRMShasadditionalrequirementstoensurealevel of safety that is at least equivalent tothat achieved by operating within the prescriptive limitationsand considering fatigue as oneof the risks tobemanagedusing generic SMS processes.
An FRMS applies principles and processes from the field of safety management system (SMS) development and use, tailored to the specific risks relating to fatigue.
The implementation of FRMS in aircraft operations is an established means of managing Fatigue riskand improving operational safety. There should be no excuses for anyone connected with aircraft operations to not want to be involved.
Consistent with SMS, FRMS seeks to achieve a realistic balance between safety, productivity, and costs.
The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.
This workshop was attended by 100 participants from the civil aviation authority (safety management), aviation personnel, flight supervisors, internal auditors, air traffic controllers, engineersrepresenting5 ACAO Member States (Tunisia, Morocco, the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Libya and Saudi Arabia) as well as (05) five international and regional organizations (ACAO, ICAO, IATA, IFALPA, IFATCA).
